Autologous blood transfusion: why and how

Area of Science:

• Medicine
• Hematology
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• Autologous transfusion, the use of a patient's own blood, has a history spanning over a century.
• Its utilization remained limited until the 1980s due to concerns about blood safety, particularly the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
• The emergence of transfusion-transmitted HIV significantly increased demand for autologous blood transfusion from both physicians and patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of autologous transfusion modalities.
• To detail the indications, contraindications, and patient eligibility for each method.
• To clarify the role and involvement of blood centers in autologous transfusion services.

Main Methods:

• Description of four primary autologous transfusion techniques:
• Preoperative autologous blood donation (PAD)
• Acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH)
• Intraoperative blood salvage (IBS)
• Postoperative blood salvage (PBS)

Main Results:

• The article outlines the specific clinical scenarios and patient profiles suitable for each autologous transfusion method.
• Contraindications and potential risks associated with each modality are discussed.
• The operational aspects and collaborative requirements with blood centers are explained.

Conclusions:

• Autologous transfusion encompasses diverse methods to enhance blood safety and availability.
• Understanding the indications, contraindications, and logistics is crucial for effective implementation.
• Blood centers play a vital role in supporting and facilitating these patient-specific transfusion strategies.