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Benefits&RisksofBloodTransfusion
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Whatisablood
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Benefits&Risksof
BloodTransfusion

Benefits&RisksofBloodTransfusion
Whatarethebenefitsofbloodtransfusion?
Bloodtransfusioncansaveapatientslifeandlimitthecomplicationsofsevereblood
loss.

Whatisimportant
abouthemoglobin?
Alternativestoblood
transfusion
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Alotofbleedingcanleadtoaseriouslylowhemoglobinlevelandcausedamage
tobodyorgansduetoalackofoxygen.

WhywouldIneeda
bloodtransfusion?
Mostimportant
factorsinpatient
bloodmanagement

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Ifbleedingcontinuesthebodyssupplyofplateletsandplasmaarealso
decreased.Then,bloodcannotclotandbleedingwillnotstop.
Bloodtransfusionbenefitspatientsbytreatingorpreventingthesesituations.

Whataretherisksofbloodtransfusion?
Canadasbloodsupplyisoneofthesafestintheworldbutbloodcanneverberiskfree.
InCanada,theriskoftransfusiontransmitteddiseaseforeachunitofbloodis:
HIV(AIDS)about1in4million
HepatitisCabout1in3million
HepatitisBabout1in1.2million
WestNileVirusabout1in1million
Otherrisksofbloodtransfusionare:
Hemolyticreactions:thepatient'sownblooddestroysthetransfusedblood.Thisis
duetoahumanerror.Carefulpatientidentificationstepsarefollowedtomake
surethecorrectbloodisgiven.
Bacterialinfection(highestwithplatelettransfusions).
Sideeffectscouldinclude:itching,skinrash,fever,orfeelingcold.Moreseriousside
effectssuchastroublebreathingareveryrare.
Bloodtransfusionsareverycarefullymatchedtothepatientsbloodtypebuttransfused
bloodisnotidenticaltoyourblood.Transfusedbloodcanalsohaveeffectsonyour
immunesystem.
Ifyouhavehadabloodtransfusionandarefeelingunwell,besuretotellyour
nurseordoctor.

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