Medical applications

Blood transfusion is the process of transferring whole blood or specific blood components (red cells, platelets, plasma) from one person into the circulatory system to another individual.

Blood transfusions can very often be life-saving, for instance in case of massive blood loss due to trauma, or play a critical role during surgery by replacing the blood lost. Transfusion of blood components can compensate acute symptoms of certain illnesses or the side effects of some therapies (infusion of platelets in case of e.g. leukemia or after chemotherapy), and it also used to treat various inherited chronic blood diseases, such as severe anaemia or Thalassaemia. People suffering from hemophilia also require frequent transfusions of coagulation factors. These factors, together with other proteins like albumins or immunoglobulins, are extracted from the human plasma through complex industrial processes, and are subsequently considered as medicinal products.

These treatments based on blood and blood components are dependent on citizens who are willing to donate blood. We are all potential donors able to help patients in need, and sometimes donors are even able to save other people's lives.