Transfusion in the Critical Patient

Blood components are easily available in the US due to the presence of animal blood banks. Although we are nowhere near this situation at present in the UK and Europe blood components are becoming increasingly available and most practices should have the capability to collect and administer whole blood.
Through the use of blood components we can target specific problems, for example provide red blood cells to patients with euvolaemic anaemia and plasma to patients with coagulopathies. The indications for blood component therapy are diverse, but at the moment due to limited supplies we have to pick and choose cases to those with severe enough clinical signs to warrant treatment or those that we think are going to survive.

BLOOD TYPES
The red blood cell membrane is covered proteins and complex carbohydrates and hence is antigenic. It is this that poses the greatest risk to patients receiving blood transfusions. Some antigens are present on the RBCs of all members of the species, however others are allogenic (i.e. there is genetic diversity) and are not present in all members of the species. It is this that is responsible for blood types within a species and result in transfusion reactions.  […]