Toward reducing perioperative transfusions

Even though the supply of blood products has never been safer, disease transmission remains the chief patient concern about transfusions. The primary concerns for anesthetists center on risks associated with blood transfusions, such as transfusion-related acute lung injury, anaphylactic transfusion reaction, clerical errors resulting in ABO incompatibility, and blood products contaminated with infectious organisms. These concerns, combined with patients' religious tenets and other factors, have contributed to renewed efforts to minimize blood transfusion without negative patient consequences. Achieving this goal requires a concerted effort by surgeons, perioperative nurses, and anesthesia providers.