Blood Transfusion Services

Blood safety and availability is an important public health matter. While substantial work is ongoing to identify replacement therapies and minimize the use of blood, transfusion services remain a critical component of the health-care system. Blood transfusion can be required in a number of frequently occurring clinical situations: major surgical procedures, including treatment of trauma patients; obstetric care with major bleeding during childbirth; and treatment of several medical diseases, especially hematological conditions. This article aims to outline essential safety aspects of blood transfusion services, starting with the proper selection of the unpaid blood donor to processing and appropriate testing of the collected blood unit as well as safety aspects of transfusion therapy, which include the appropriate clinical use of blood and blood components. The importance of accurate reporting of any incidents or adverse reactions to blood transfusion, which form the basis for a hemovigilance system, is briefly reviewed.