Understanding Blood Transfusion
When one hears about blood transfusion one will correlate this with something serious.
Yes, this maybe true. But, when do we really need blood transfusion?
The following are the indications of the need of blood transfusion:
1, To maintain blood volume and sustain the oxygen-carrying function of the erythrocyte
- To promote or maintain coagulation
- For exchange transfusion
- For use in extracorporeal circulation in open-heart surgery
- In pediatric practice, in nutritional deficiency states such as severe anemia or
hypoproteinemia
But before a patient is given blood transfusion, a series of tests is done to check for the
blood group of the patient, the screening of the blood component prior to transfusion and
the cross matching of the blood to be transfused to the patient.
It is a very delicate matter that is given utmost attention to prevent complications and death.
The presently known major blood groups are:
Blood type O
Blood type A
Blood type B
Blood type AB
Among Filipinos, only 0.09% are Rh negative and 99% are Rh positive. This explains the
very low incidence of Rh hemolytic disease of the newborn in Filipinos and the negligible
chance of incompatibility of Rh group in blood transfusions.
Different situations call for different blood components to be transfused. Some patients may
need: - Whole blood and packed cells
- Plasma
- Platelets
- Leukocyte transfusions
- Frozen blood
In each of these blood components, cross matching tests are done primarily to protect the
patient from incompatible transfusions and to avoid transfusion reactions. Reactions could
be hemolytic, allergic, pyrogen, circulatory overload, transmission of disease such as
hepatitis, malaria, syphilis and EB virus; and, massive blood transfusions.