Who Needs a Blood Transfusion?
Blood transfusions are very common. Each year,
almost 5 million Americans need blood transfusions. This procedure is used for
people of all ages.
Many people who have surgery need blood transfusions
because they lose blood during the operation. For example, about one-third of
all heart surgery patients have a transfusion.
Some people who have serious injuriessuch as
from car wrecks, war, or natural disastersneed blood transfusions to
replace blood lost during the injury.
Some people need blood or parts of the blood because
of illnesses. You may need a blood transfusion if you have:
- A severe infection or liver disease that stops
your body from properly making blood or some parts of blood.
- An illness that causes
anemia,
such as kidney disease or cancer. Medicines or radiation used to treat a
medical condition also can cause anemia. There are many different types of
anemia, including
aplastic,
Fanconi,
hemolytic,
iron-deficiency,
and sickle
cell anemias and
thalassemia
(thal-a-SE-me-a).
- A bleeding disorder, such as
hemophilia
or thrombocytopenia (THROM-bo-si-to-PE-ne-a).
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