Transfusion Medicine Essentials

Master the basics of transfusion. Learn about the most commonly transfused blood products, the importance of restrictive transfusion strategies, and how to avoid unnecessary risk.

Here, you’ll cover the principles of transfusion in critical care, the indications for various blood products, and how to make transfusion decisions in various clinical situations.

In this chapter, we’ll review the tests that are necessary for obtaining a valid blood group, and what it takes to choose the right blood product in the right situation.

Here, you’ll take a deep dive into the key tests needed to ensure a smooth blood transfusion: blood group typing, antibody screening, and compatibility testing.

Learn how to correctly prepare for and safely perform a blood transfusion. Master pre-transfusion checks, ABO identity tests, and the safe administration of a blood transfusion.

Know what to do when things go wrong. Here, you’ll learn how to assess common risks and complications, as well as recognize and handle severe, or delayed transfusion reactions.

Manage transfusion medicine curveballs: incompatibilities between mother and child, diagnosing autoimmune hemolysis, and drug-interference with blood compatibility testing.

Infuse your newly acquired skill set with real-world experience by thinking through patient cases in the final chapter of this course.