Global facts
- Of the 118.5 million blood donations collected globally, 40% of these are collected in high-income countries, home to 16% of the world’s population.(1)
- In low-income countries, up to 54 % of blood transfusions are given to children under 5 years of age; whereas in high-income countries, the most frequently transfused patient group is over 60 years of age, accounting for up to 76% of all transfusions.(1)
- Based on samples of 1000 people, the blood donation rate is 31.5 donations in high-income countries, 16.4 donations in upper-middle-income countries, 6.6 donations in lower-middle-income countries and 5.0 donations in low-income countries. (1)
- An increase of 10.7 million blood donations from voluntary unpaid donors has been reported from 2008 to 2018. In total, 79 countries collect over 90% of their blood supply from voluntary unpaid blood donors; however, 54 countries collect more than 50% of their blood supply from family/replacement or paid donors. (1)
What is a blood transfusion?
A blood transfusion is a common procedure in which donated blood or blood components are given to you through an intravenous line (IV).(2)
Who needs a blood transfusion?
A variety of patients will need blood at some stage of their illness. These patients will include:(3)
Acute anaemia patients
- Surgical haemorrhage
- Caesarean sections, bone surgery, abdominal surgery.
- Traumatic haemorrhage
- Fractures, head trauma, chest trauma, trauma to the spleen.
- Non-surgical/non-trauma haemorrhage
- Bleeding peptic ulcers, bleeding tumours.
- Critical illness
- Early sepsis with inadequate oxygen delivery
- Septic shock
- Acute coronary syndrome with ischemia
Chronic anaemia patients
- Chronic blood loss (hepatic disorders, bleeding disorders)
- Decreased erythropoiesis (malignancies, chemotherapy, other drugs suppressing bone marrow, renal disorders, nutritional deficiencies)
Is it safe to receive blood?
Transfusions are as safe now as they’ve ever been in the era of modern medicine. (5)
Are there any complications of blood transfusions?
But there are some risks of complications. These include:(4,5)
- Allergic reactions
- hives and itching, and fever.
- Bloodborne infections
- Malaria, HIV or hepatitis B or C
- Other serious reactions
- Immune haemolytic reaction, respiratory reactions
How often do complications occur?
The prevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections in blood is very rare.(1)
Transfusion reactions may be seen in up to 1% of transfusions.
Transfusion reactions can rarely be fatal.
The incidence of such fatal reactions varies from 1 in 0.6 million to 2.3 million(6).
Blood transfusions; benefits of blood transfusions. (part 3)
References
1. Blood safety and availability [Internet]. [cited 2024 Apr 13]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blood-safety-and-availability
2. Blood Transfusion: What is it, Benefits, Risks & Reactions, Time [Internet]. [cited 2024 Apr 13]. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/14755-blood-transfusion
3. Yaddanapudi S, Yaddanapudi L. Indications for blood and blood product transfusion. Indian J Anaesth. 2014 Sep;58(5):538–42.
4. Blood transfusion – Mayo Clinic [Internet]. [cited 2024 Apr 13]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/blood-transfusion/about/pac-20385168
5. Yale Medicine [Internet]. [cited 2024 Apr 13]. Blood Transfusions. Available from: https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/blood-transfusions
6. Castillo B, Dasgupta A, Klein K, Tint H, Wahed A. Chapter 3 – Transfusion reactions. In: Castillo B, Dasgupta A, Klein K, Tint H, Wahed A, editors. Transfusion Medicine for Pathologists [Internet]. Elsevier; 2018 [cited 2024 Apr 13]. p. 37–49. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128143131000034
7. Armstrong B. Benefits and risks of transfusion. ISBT Sci Ser. 2008;3(2):216–30.
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