Blood transfusion

Blood transfusion is the transfer of donated or stored blood or blood components into a recipient’s circulation. It can replace lost blood or supply specific components such as red cells, platelets, or plasma.

ABO blood group system: A classification of blood based on A and B antigens on red blood cells and corresponding antibodies in plasma. ABO matching prevents recipient antibodies from rapidly destroying transfused red cells.
Red blood cell transfusion: Transfusion of red blood cells to improve oxygen-carrying capacity. It is commonly used for clinically significant anemia or blood loss.
Transfusion reaction: An adverse response occurring during or after administration of a blood component. Recognizing a reaction promptly can limit harm and guide investigation.
Jean-Baptiste Denis: A French physician who conducted early animal-to-human blood transfusions in the seventeenth century. His experiments helped make transfusion a subject of medical controversy.
Blood substitute: A non-blood product designed to perform selected functions of blood, such as oxygen transport or volume expansion. No widely used substitute fully replicates the functions of transfused blood components.
Rh blood group system: A blood group system whose most clinically significant antigen is the D antigen, often called Rh factor. Rh compatibility matters especially for red-cell transfusions and pregnancy.
Platelet transfusion: Transfusion of platelets to prevent or control bleeding associated with low or impaired platelet counts. It addresses a clotting problem that red cells cannot correct.
Acute hemolytic transfusion reaction: A dangerous reaction in which recipient antibodies destroy transfused red blood cells, often after incompatibility. ABO-incompatible red cells can trigger rapid intravascular hemolysis.
James Blundell: A British physician who performed and advocated human-to-human transfusion in the early nineteenth century. His work revived transfusion as a possible treatment for severe bleeding.
Intravenous fluid: A sterile solution infused into a vein to provide fluid, electrolytes, or selected nutrients. Fluids can support circulation but do not restore red cells or platelets.

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