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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload
Published on: March 14, 2017
Improving blood transfusion: a patient-centred approach
A Gray1, Catherine Howell, Elizabeth Pirie
1Effective Use of Blood Group, Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, Edinburgh. sandra.gray@snbts.csa.scot.nhs.uk
More than three million blood components are transfused every year in the UK, providing life-saving and life-enhancing treatment to thousands of patients (McClelland 2001). However, transfusion error, resulting in the patient receiving the incorrect blood component, remains the largest risk related to transfusion in the UK. By developing accessible blood transfusion policies, auditable performance standards and training, and educational initiatives, nurses can increase compliance in high-risk areas of the transfusion process and reduce the potential for errors.
More than three million blood components are transfused every year in the UK, providing life-saving and life-enhancing treatment to thousands of patients (McClelland 2001). However, transfusion error, resulting in the patient receiving the incorrect blood component, remains the largest risk related to transfusion in the UK. By developing accessible blood transfusion policies, auditable performance standards and training, and educational initiatives, nurses can increase compliance in high-risk areas of the transfusion process and reduce the potential for errors.
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