Transfusion Medicine

Blood products can be administered to animals suffering from a variety of diseases, including anaemia due to haemolysis or haemorrhage, sepsis, coagulopathies, specific factor deficiencies and disseminated intravascular coagulation. The decision to give a patient a blood transfusion depends on a number of factors, including the patients Packed Cell Volume, any patient with a PCV lower than 20% should be considered for a transfusion. Additionally the onset of ther anaemia whether it is acute or chronic and also on the clinical picture portrayed by the animal. Signs including tachycardia, bounding peripheral pulses, tachypnoea, collapse, weakness and lethargy all suggest that a blood transfusion may be necessary.