A blood transfusion is the transfer of blood or blood products from one person (donor) into another person's bloodstream (recipient). This is usually done as a lifesaving manoeuvre to replace blood cells or blood components lost through severe bleeding, during surgery when blood loss occurs or to increase the blood count in an anaemic patient.

Many people undergoing surgery need a blood transfusion because they lose blood during their operations. Some people need a blood transfusion to replace blood lost during the surgery. Some need blood if they are going through conditions such as liver infection, anaemia, or a bleeding disorder (haemophilia or thrombocytopenia).

There are three types of blood transfusion:

• Red blood cell transfusions: Red blood cells are the most commonly transfused components of the blood, they carry oxygen from the lungs to the body’s organs and tissues. Red blood cell transfusion is required if you lost the blood due to an injury or surgery.
• Platelets and clotting factor transfusions: Platelets and clotting factors help stop bleeding which includes internal bleeding also. In some conditions, your body doesn’t make enough platelets or clotting factors so you may need regular transfusions of platelets and clotting factors.
• Plasma transfusions: Plasma is a liquid part of the blood which contains proteins, clotting factors, hormones, vitamins, cholesterol, sugar, sodium, potassium, calcium, and more. If you have liver disease or you have been badly burned then you may need a plasma transfusion.

There are four types of blood, A, B, AB, and O. every person has one of the types and it can be Rh-positive or Rh-negative. People with type-O negative blood are considered universal donors and people with type-AB positive blood are considered universal recipients.
If you have Rh-positive blood then you can receive blood from Rh-negative or Rh-positive, but if your blood type is Rh-negative then you should only receive Rh-negative blood.

A blood bank is a place where blood is collected, processed, tested, and stored. Blood bank staff screen all donated blood for Transfusion Transmitted infections like HIV, HBsAg, HCV, Malaria & Syphilis and they also screen for blood type and unexpected antibodies. To prepare blood for a transfusion, we at SWH Blood Bank remove white blood cells before storage by using Inline filter bags for collecting blood. This process is called white cell or leukocyte (LU-ko-site) reduction. Although rare, some people are allergic to white blood cells in donated blood. Removing these cells makes allergic reactions less likely. So during emergencies, it is easy for them to give blood according to the patient’s need. Sakra World Hospital Transfusion Medicine Physician is always available for consultation and our laboratory services are available 24/7.

It is the procedure of collecting blood from a patient and re-transfusing it back to the same patient when needed. It reduces the risk of transmission of infection.

Apheresis is a medical procedure that involves removing whole blood from a donor or patient and separating the blood into individual components so that one particular component can be removed. The remaining blood components then are re-introduced back into the bloodstream of the patient or donor.
Apheresis is used for the collection of donor blood components (such as platelets or plasma) as well as for the treatment of certain medical conditions in which a part of the blood that contains disease-provoking elements is removed.

Blood transfusion can be done at the doctor’s office and a hospital. They are also done during surgery and in emergency cases. During the blood transfusion, a needle is inserted into the IV line into one of your blood vessels. Through this line, you receive healthy blood and the procedure usually takes 1 to 4 hours.

After a blood transfusion, the doctor will check your temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate. You may have some soreness and mild pain at the site where IV was inserted for a few days.
After a few days, the specialist may ask for blood tests to know how your body is reacting to the transfusion.

Blood transfusion is not 100% risk-free. The most common reactions are mild allergic or febrile reactions and are not life-threatening. Additional transfusion risks and reactions:

• Severe allergic reaction
• Respiratory distress due to fluid overload (Transfusion-Associated Circulatory Overload), or injury to the lungs (Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury)
• Bacterial contamination
• Fever, chills, rash
• Hemolytic transfusion reaction (an immune reaction where antibodies lead to the destruction of transfused red blood cells)
• Mistransfusion (human error leading to the transfusion of the wrong product)