Blood transfusion is a medical therapy, which could be life-saving. As with any other treatment, transfusion of blood or blood components should be ordered appropriately. Transfusion is a process and its chain begins with donor considerations. Once blood is collected, many things have to be done such as infectious disease testing, compatibility testing, and necessary modifications such as irradiation or leukocyte reduction.
At Prasidh hospital, Hyderabad, transfusion medicine, which is also called transfusiology, is the branch of medicine that encompasses all aspects of the transfusion of blood and blood components.
Transfusion medicine plays a very important role in the supportive care of patients undergoing HSCT, with a spectrum of applications including PBSC collection, cellular processing, granulocyte transfusions, donor lymphocyte infusions, and the evaluation of immunohematology issues in ABO-mismatched and other transplant situations.
Transfusiology at Prasidh hospital, Hyderabad, includes issues of blood donation, immunohematology, and other laboratory testing for transfusion-transmitted diseases, patient blood management, therapeutic apheresis, and stem cell collections, cellular therapy, and coagulation. Lab management and understanding of state and federal regulations, which are related to blood products are also a large part of the field.
The Division of Transfusion Medicine is responsible for the collection and testing of the blood to be given to patients at Prasidh Hospital. The division is also responsible for collecting and processing hematopoietic stem cells for blood and bone marrow transplantation, and other necessary things.
Transfusion Medicine performs therapeutic apheresis procedures to treat patients with neurologic, kidney, and blood diseases. Transfusion Medicine is including the following work units:
Autotransfusion
This is an operating room-based team at our hospital, which is dedicated to providing autologous blood products and other testing services. Coagulation and hemoglobin testing are also performed in the operating rooms to guide anticoagulation and transfusion therapies. Approximately 4K autologous blood procedures and 20K tests are performed every year.
Component Laboratory
Each whole blood donation may be separated into various components and be used further to help patients. The Component Laboratory prepares these different blood products and blood products vital for research.
Donor Services
They collect the majority of the blood products needed by patients at Prasidh Hospital. They schedule appointments for donation, evaluate potential blood donors and collect their blood.
Education Resource Team
This team provides oversight of educational initiatives, which help the development of medical professionals in the field of transfusion medicine.
Human Cellular Therapy or HCT Laboratory
This lab processes hematopoietic stem cells collected from the blood and bone marrow. And they can be used further to treat blood diseases and cancer.
Immunohematology Reference Laboratory
This lab helps patients who have formed an antibody against RBC due to previous RBC exposures such as pregnancy. The lab will identify which portion of the RBC the antibody recognizes. Multiple tests might be required to identify an RBC antibody.
Quality Assurance Unit
This Unit watches over the safety, purity, and efficacy of the blood products collected and transfused.
Therapeutic Apheresis Unit
This unit uses special machines to remove disease-causing substances and cells from the blood. The unit also collects stem cells for blood and bone marrow transplantation.
Tissue Typing Laboratory
This lab performs HLA typing for organ and bone marrow transplantation. Lab staff members perform tests to help in finding the best platelet blood products for patients who do not respond to platelet transfusions.
Transfusion Laboratory
This lab is responsible for ensuring that the best and safest blood products are given to Prasidh Hospital patients. The lab of the Division of Transfusion Medicine is accredited by the association of Blood Banks, the College of pathologists, and the Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics.
Sometimes, illness may make it difficult for your body to produce healthy blood. Doctors at Prasidh hospital help their patients in treating these illnesses. Some of them include:
• anemia
• cancer
• hemophilia
• kidney disease
• liver disease
• severe infection
• sickle cell disease
• thrombocytopenia
Matching blood types for transfusions
Blood types
We have four different blood types according to the antigens in our blood cells, and these are O, A, B, and AB. Some also have a substance called Rh factor in RBC. Those who have it, are known as Rh-positive, and those who don’t are known as Rh-negative. If you’re Rh positive, you may receive positive or negative blood. On the other hand, if you’re Rh-negative, you can only receive Rh-negative blood.
People who have type O- blood are known as universal donors since type O- blood is safe for almost everyone to receive. People with type AB+ blood are known as universal recipients because they can receive almost any type of blood transfusion.
Blood components
We don’t all have the same blood type available all the time, our blood is made up of the same components. As we know that blood consists of solid and liquid parts. The solid part includes red and white blood cells and platelets. And on the other hand, RBC transports oxygen. WBC helps fight infection and platelets help your blood clot. The liquid part of blood is called plasma, which contains water, proteins, and salts.
You must tell your doctor if you take dietary supplements containing iron. You may be asked to sign some papers consenting to transfusion therapy.
Transfusion therapy procedure
It could take place in a hospital or an outpatient center. Our provider will confirm your identity and cross-check the blood you are about to receive. You may get a mild medication as well. Most people can restart normal activities soon after the procedure. Our doctor will let you know everything regarding this.
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