How Does a Blood Transfusion Work

The need for blood donation occurs for many reasons: if someone is hurt or seriously injured, or when someone is in danger of death due to internal bleeding, if needed perform an operation, or when the patient is extremely physically exhausted and so on…Sometimes it is necessary that the lost blood urgently need to be compensated or to timely enhance resistance. Sometimes, half a liter or one liter of blood given in vein can save the life.

The idea of blood transfusion is not new. Even in 1654 Italian physician Francesco Foli tried to do transfusion of blood from one animal to another. Later, there were attempts of blood transfusions of animal blood to people, but without success.

Today it is known that animals of one species does not accept the blood of another animal species. It essentially acts as a poison and always causes death. Only during the First World War there has been great progress in the field of blood donation. During WWI it was known that the blood of some people can not be donated to other people without risk. This has led to the classification of blood into four major blood groups which are determined by laboratory methods.

Blood donors must match the recipient’s blood, and therefore it is first necessary to determine the blood type of both. In hospitals there are so called “Blood banks”; in which the blood is kept at a low temperature, and donated when the need arises.

The chance of contracting HIV infection through blood transfusion in developed countries is estimated at less than one case in 2,000,000 transfusion which is negligible risk that corresponds to the risk that you struck by lightning. The risk of contracting hepatitis through blood is estimated to be about one case in 30,000 to 100,000 transfusions.

During transfusion you should not feel anything special, but after transfusion should feel better, especially after the transfusion of red blood cells. If there is a high temperature, fever or rash on the skin should immediately inform the doctor. Usually it’s a mild reaction or allergy, which passed quickly after application of drugs or after a slowdown transfusions.

Can you give blood before surgery to yourself? Yes! Transfusion of your own blood is called autologous transfusion and it is possible only in certain, special circumstances. In selected cases, the patient may give two or three units of his own blood, three to four weeks before surgery. For this type of autologous transfusion is necessary that the patient is in the proper state of health and to prepare for a particular type of surgery.