How the process of blood transfusion is conducted?

The process of blood transfusion is conducted in two sections.

The first section is blood collection. In this,

1. Health check up of the donor is performed first.

2. Blood is collected from the donor using a cannula of appropriate capacity, in a sterilized pouch which contains anticoagulant.

3. This collected blood is kept in cold storage, to slow down bacterial growth and cellular metabolism.

4. Stored blood is tested for matching of ABO and Rh antigens, and also for hepatitis B, hepatitis C HIV, etc.

5. After blood collection, the donor is kept under observation and is provided medical assistance in order to avoid or cure donation related reactions , if any occur.

The second section is the transfusion of stored blood. In this,

1. The recipient’s blood is matched completely with the donor’s blood for ABO, Rh antigen, etc.

2. The stored blood is taken out around half an hour before transfusion

3. Blood is administered intravenously to the recipient ,using a cannula. The process takes around 4 hours.

4. Patient is provided medical assistance to reduce transfusion related reactions, such as fever, pain, cold, irregular heartbeat, etc.

This way blood is transfused from a donor to a recipient.