[Contribution and selected risks of blood transfusion]

Area of Science:

• Transfusion Medicine
• Clinical Practice
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Blood transfusion is a common medical procedure with evolving understanding of its risks and benefits.
• Historically, concerns focused on infectious diseases and ABO incompatibility.
• Recent evidence highlights newer risks and challenges in defining optimal transfusion strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of current knowledge regarding the risks and benefits associated with blood transfusions.
• To examine the controversies surrounding the indications, timing, and efficacy of blood product administration.
• To compare established transfusion complications with newly identified adverse effects.

Main Methods:

• This study is a review article.
• It synthesizes previously published data on blood transfusion.
• Information was gathered from the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, University Hospital, Ostrava.

Main Results:

• Transfusion of blood and blood products remains a subject of clinical controversy.
• Indications, optimal timing, and definitive benefits are not clearly established.
• While traditional risks like incompatibility and infection have decreased, new risks such as transfusion-related immunomodulation (TRIM) and transfusion-related lung injury (TRALI) are increasingly recognized.

Conclusions:

• The risks associated with blood transfusion, often underestimated, require careful consideration against potential benefits.
• Both restrictive and liberal transfusion approaches have proponents and detractors.
• The definition of "good clinical practice" for blood transfusions remains an open question for future clinical guidelines.