National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Blood Transfusion and Donation is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Every year, nearly 5 million people in the United States receive life-saving blood transfusions. During a transfusion, you receive whole blood or parts of blood such as
Some people worry about getting sick from giving or receiving blood. It is possible, but is very rare. The Food and Drug Administration and other organizations that collect blood make sure that blood is safe. Every single donation is tested for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, syphilis and several other diseases that can be transmitted through blood. Some people who know they may need blood during surgery donate their own ahead of time. That is the safest type of transfusion.
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)