transfusion

(trăns-fyū'zhən)
n.

1. The act or process of transfusing.
2. Medicine. The transfer of whole blood or blood products from one individual to another.

transfusional trans·fu'sion·al adj.

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The administration of blood or its components as a part of a medical treatment. There are certain fairly well-delineated indications for the use of some form of transfusion. Hemorrhage, severe burns, and certain forms of shock are perhaps the most important conditions for which blood transfusion is utilized. Other disorders in which hemotherapy may be indicated include hemophilia, leukemia, certain anemias, and rare hereditary or familial disorders in which some portion of the blood is lacking or deficient. See also Hematologic disorders.

In order for a recipient to accept a blood transfusion, the donor blood cells must be immunologically compatible with the recipient. That is, the recipient must recognize certain molecules (antigens) on donor blood cells as “self” and not foreign. The three main antigen systems on blood cells are the ABO, Rh, and HLA. See also Blood groups; Rh incompatibility.

Donated blood is tested for blood groups, blood-group antibodies, and laboratory evidence of syphilis, hepatitis B, AIDS, human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type I (HTLV-I, which is associated with adult T-cell leukemia), and hepatitis C. As a result, blood transfusions have become safer. However, persons who may have been exposed to AIDS should not donate blood, because it has been found that blood may test negative for AIDS and yet still be capable of transmitting AIDS to recipients. This situation can arise because there is a period of time during which a recently infected individual has not yet made sufficient antibody to test positive. Because of the concern that AIDS can be transmitted by blood transfusion, patients sometimes request donations from specific family members and friends. In general, such directed donations are statistically no safer than volunteer blood donation. More patients are donating their own blood (autologous blood) before elective surgery, for their own use during and after the surgery. Autologous blood is the safest blood for transfusion. See also Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Shortly before transfusion, the blood of the donor and recipient is tested once again to make sure that the blood groups are compatible. In an emergency, these tests are abbreviated, or type O red blood cells which can be transfused safely to any individual, are used. Transfusion of blood and blood components is essential to support many patients undergoing surgery, treatment for cancer, or organ transplantation, as well as premature infants.

In addition to transmission of infections, adverse effects of blood transfusion are due to immune reactions between donor and recipient. Fever, the most frequent reaction, is caused by reaction of recipient antibody against donor white blood cells. Hives are due to allergic reactions to substances in donor plasma. Destruction of donor red cells (hemolytic reaction) occurs if the wrong type of blood is inadvertently given, or if recipient antibody is not detected prior to transfusion. See also Blood.

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The administration of a fluid, such as saline, plasma, or blood, into the circulatory system. The fluid is allowed to drip into the subject's vein under gravity. See also blood doping.

The introduction of whole blood or blood components directly into the bloodstream. Among the elements transfused, in addition to whole blood, are packed red blood cells, plasma, platelets, granulocytes and cryoprecipitate, a plasma protein rich in antihemophilic factor VIII. See also autotransfusion.

• autologous blood t. — transfusion of the animal's own blood.
• blood t. — whole blood is most often indicated to maintain or replace blood volume, to provide deficient blood elements and improve coagulation, to maintain or improve transport of oxygen, and in liver failure in which toxins accumulate in the blood, or in some other types of toxemia.
• direct t. — transfer of whole blood from the donor through a tube, directly to the recipient.
• exchange t. — blood is removed from the recipient at the same time and in the same amount as blood is being administered from the donor.
• incompatible t. — see transfusion reaction (below).
• t. reaction — a group of clinical signs due to antibody in the recipient's blood reacting with the transfused red blood cells when blood for transfusion is incorrectly matched, or when the recipient has an adverse reaction to some element of the donor blood. Most commonly, there is an immune-mediated hemolysis involving alloantibodies, which may be naturally occurring or the result of an earlier transfusion, in the recipient's serum and the donor's erythrocytes. In ruminants, signs appear during the transfusion, beginning with hiccough, then tremor, dyspnea, lacrimation, fever, ruminal tympany, hemoglobinuria and subsequent abortion. If death occurs, it is because of pulmonary edema. Similar signs are seen in other species. Urticaria and erythema sometimes occur in dogs and cats.
— Nonimmunological transfusion reactions include cardiovascular overload, hypocalcemic tetany from citrate (used as the anticoagulant) overload, and disease transmission.
• t. therapy — the administration of whole blood or blood components, usually in the treatment of bleeding disorders.

n

The introduction into the bloodstream of whole blood or blood components such as plasma, platelets, or packed red cells. Infused donor blood must be matched to the recipient’s blood type and antigen group.

For a list of words related to transfusion, see:

• Procedures - transfusion: injection of blood or blood products into circulation of patient

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See words rhyming with "transfusion."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Transfusion.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - transfusion, overførelse

Nederlands (Dutch)
(bloed)transfusie

Français (French)
n. - transfusion

Deutsch (German)
n. - Transfusion, Übertragung, Einspritzung

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - μετάγγιση

Italiano (Italian)
trasfusione

Português (Portuguese)
n. - transfusão (f), inoculação (f), difusão (f)

Русский (Russian)
трансфузия

Español (Spanish)
n. - transfusión, trasiego

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - transfusion, blodtransfusion, injektion, överföring, överflyttning (bildl.)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
注入, 输液, 输血

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 注入, 輸液, 輸血

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 옮겨 붓기, 주입, 혈관 주사

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 注入, 輸液

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) أحتراق, تخلل, نقل‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮עירוי (דם)‬

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