Red blood cell transfusions in pets – when, what and how to do it!*

Red blood cell transfusions in pets – when, what and how to do it!

Red blood cell transfusions in pets: Red cell transfusions are now a relatively common intervention in veterinary practice in the UK and help in the treatment of many patients. This is largely due to the availability of blood products, such as Packed Red Blood Cells (PRBC) , from blood banks supplying directly to practices. After donation, red cells are separated from plasma into a concentrated packed cell form, a nutrient extender is then added to them. This allows the red cells to be stored for up to 42 days before being transfused into patients. DEA 1 blood typing prior to transfusion is essential and cross matching should be performed for second transfusions. Blood products are administered through a filtered giving set and patients monitored closely for transfusion reactions. Transfusion reactions are thankfully rare but potentially life threatening.