blood transfusion
Meaning of blood transfusion: A blood transfusion delivers donated blood or a specific blood component into the bloodstream to treat blood loss, anemia, or a clotting disorder.
Definition of blood transfusion
A blood transfusion is the administration of blood or a specific blood component directly into a person's bloodstream. Rather than always using whole blood, transfusions today are more often given as individual components, such as red blood cells, platelets, plasma, or specific clotting factors, matched to what a particular situation requires.
Blood for transfusion is tested and matched to the recipient's blood type before it is given, since transfusing incompatible blood can trigger a serious immune reaction. Most transfused blood comes from a volunteer donor, though a person can sometimes donate and store their own blood in advance of a planned surgery.
Transfusions are used to treat significant blood loss from injury or surgery, severe anemia, and certain bleeding or clotting disorders, and the specific component given depends on what is deficient, whether that is oxygen carrying red cells, platelets needed for clotting, or specific proteins found in plasma.
Used in a sentence
A blood transfusion was administered to correct the patient's significant blood loss during surgery.
Good to know
Modern transfusion practice generally uses individual blood components rather than whole blood, so the component selected depends on what a person's condition specifically requires rather than replacing blood as a single substance.
Word origin
Where “blood transfusion” comes from
Formed from Latin trans-, meaning across, and fundere, meaning to pour.