Transfusion Medicine

Introduction

Blood products are extremely useful and can be administered to animals suffering from a variety of diseases, including anaemia following 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 the anaemia whether it is acute or chronic is important 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.

Blood groups

The number of blood groups varies between the domestic species, cattle have the most complex blood systems while cats are quite simple. In order to achieve a safe transfusion blood typing and sometimes crossmatching of the donor and recipient patient is required. Blood groups are determined by antigenic components.