Blood Transfusion

Question 1

What are blood transfusions prescribed for and their uses?

Answer 1

Prescribed for: anaemia, thrombocytopenia, low coagulation factors, low fibrinogen
When: improve QoL, correct or treat, reverse damage, haemorrhage, prepare or recover from illness or treatment

Question 2

What are the main components of blood which can be transfused and when are they indicated?

Answer 2

Red cells
- prevent or correct severe acute anaemia, improve QoL, prepare for surgery, help recovery, reverse damage
Platelets
- prophylaxis, therapeutically, cardiopulmonary bypass, DIC if bleed, abnormalities of function
Fresh frozen plasma
- replace coagulation factors, DIC if bleed, TTP, replace coagulation deficiencies
Cryoprecipitate
- hypofibrinogaemia secondary to massive transfusion, DIC with bleed and <1g/L fibrinogen, bleeding associated with thrombolytic therapy, renal or liver failure with abnormal bleeding, fibrinogen concentrate on way

Question 3

When should samples be sent to the blood bank, the principles of what happens to them at the lab and when/how is blood made available?

Answer 3

Group and screen/save
Cross match
“Group specific blood”
Remember two sample policy
72h validity

Question 4

What are the main hazards of blood transfusion?

Answer 4

Never events are death or harm
Other events include: transfusion associated circulatory overload, transfusion related acute lung injury, allergic transfusion reaction, febrile, allergic, hypotension, variant eg creutzfeldt jakob disease

Question 5

What are some future cellular therapies?

Answer 5

X

Question 6

Why do some blood groups restrict how blood can be transfused?

Answer 6

X