Blood transfusion: From risk factors to care, all you need to know about the procedure

Why are blood transfusions done?

Blood transfusion helps replace blood lost to injury or during surgery, or any such medical conditions. “Generally, RBC (red blood cell) transfusions are performed with the intention to increase arterial oxygen content and thus oxygen delivery to the tissues,” according to a study published in National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

How is transfusion carried out?

All tests are carried out to ascertain the compatibility of the transfused blood. During blood transfusion, a small needle is placed in the vein of your arm through which blood is transfused. Medical staff monitors all the vital parameters when transfusion is being done, said Dr Manjusha Agarwal, Senior Consultant-Internal Medicine at Global Hospital Parel Mumbai. She added that it usually it takes “upto 4 hours to complete a transfusion, in emergencies, it can be transfused even at a faster rate.”

Here’s what to consider. (Source: Pixabay)

Risk factors

The critical thing to understand is that “if you receive blood that is not compatible with your blood, your body produces antibodies to destroy the donor’s blood cells. This is called transfusion reaction”, said the expert.

According to Dr Agarwal, transfusion reaction can be in the form of fever, hives and itching. “In severe cases, lung injury can happen. Bacteria present in donors can cause infection in the recipient. Acute kidney injury due to hemolytic reaction can also occur,” Dr Manjusha explained.

How to prevent human error when receiving blood

According to Dr Sangeeta Agarwal, senior consultant, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram,

*Double check the blood details before every transfusion by retesting.
*Make sure the recipient and donor details are actualities – they are proved with evidence.
*Correctly labeling items in storage.

“Most of the hospitals and blood banks have systems to reduce the occurrence of such a reaction,” said Dr Sadhana Mangwana
Senior Consultant and Head – Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute. “These include ensuring by checking the identities of donors that their details match the information on their blood samples. Make sure to correctly labeling stored samples. Cross-checking the blood group of both patients and donor before each transfusion,” she said.

Post-transfusion care

Post-transfusion, there may be an ache in the arm or bruising at the site of transfusion. “There is a very small risk of delayed reaction which can cause nausea, swelling, jaundice, or itchy rash. Please consult your doctor if you feel unwell post-transfusion,” advised Dr Manjusha .

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