| name: | Blood Transfusion |
| also known as: | Giving Blood; Blood Bank; Blood Donation; Donating Blood |
| also see: | ABO Blood Typing; Blood Transfusion Reaction; Rh Incompatibility |
| description: | A standard blood transfusion is giving a unit of blood to a person. A unit of blood consists of 55% red blood cells and 45% serum. If it is desirable to give less volume and only give the red blood cells, then packed red blood cells are infused. A transfusion of one unit of packed red blood cells will raise the person's hemtocrit about 3%: if a person's hematocrit is 25, one unit of packed red blood cells should raise the hematocrit to 28. Normal hematocrit is 45-52 % male; 37-48 % female Normal hemoglobin is 13-18 grams male; 12-16 grams female The ABO blood typing determines the major blood grouping: A, B, AB, O. A person with A blood has antibodies to B blood; a person with B blood has antibodies to A blood; a person with AB blood has no antibodies; and a person with O blood has antibodies to both A blood and B blood. The antibodies are of the IgM immunoglobulin class. Therefore, the following transfusions are compatible: A blood can receive A blood and O blood B blood can receive B blood and O blood AB blood can receive A blood, B blood, AB blood and O blood O blood can only receive O blood AB blood is the universal recipient, that is, can receive any ABO blood; O blood is the universal donor, that is, can give to any ABO blood. If a ABO incompatibility exists, there will be an immediate blood transfusion reaction mediated by the IgM antibody and characterized by with hemolytic anemia. Classic transfusion reactions may include fever, nausea, muscle aches and pains, back pain, chest pain, drop in blood pressure, shortness of breath, wheezing. Delayed blood transfusion reaction are to the minor antigen groups on the donated red blood cells as discussed under ABO blood typing, and not to the major ABO blood groups. Delayed transfusion reaction is mediated by IgG and is characterized more mild symptoms and more mild hemolytic anemia. Additional transfusion reaction beside the major ABO and the minor red blood cell antigens, are to the Rh factor and to the white blood cells. Rh incompatibility is usually more important in second trafusions and in mothers who are Rh- carrying an Rh+ fetus. In the latter case, the risk is during a second pregnancy when the mother has now produced antibodies directed at the second fetus' Rh+ blood. See Rh incompatibility for complete details. Non-hemolytic transfusion reaction is when the reciepient's blood antibodies reaact to the donor white blood cells. It is characterized by fever, chills. |
| treatment: | Who can not donate blood: 1. Temporary denial to donate blood are people who have conditions that need to be corrected before they can donate: any one with any type of anemia, certain drugs, recent vaccinations, active malaria, pregnant women, high blood pressure, having themselves received a transfusion within past year, exposure to viral hepatitis, CMV, recent body piercing or recent tattoo. 2. Permanent denial to ever donate blood includes: viral hepatitis, HIV infection, AIDS, participation in high risk acitivities including IV drug abuse, multiple sexual partners, and prostitution, bleeding disorder, severe coronary artery disease, severe congestive heart failure, other severe heart diseases, severe asthma, any type of cancer except those cancers that are easily treatable and curable, such as skin cancer. |
Last updated 9/16/2007