Platelet transfusion practice and related transfusion reactions in a large teaching hospital

BackgroundPlatelet transfusion practice varies widely since many aspects of platelet concentrate (PC) use have not been definitively determined. The objectives of this retrospective study were to present platelet transfusion practice and evaluate PC and patient characteristics, as well as their association with transfusion reaction (TR) rate.Material and methodsPlatelet transfusions over a 5-year period were analysed regarding PC characteristics (the ABO and RhD compatibility, product type, and storage duration), patient characteristics (most responsible diagnosis, age, and gender), and TR type.ResultsA total of 46,351 PCs were transfused: 76.4% whole blood-derived (WBD) and 23.6% single donor apheresis (SDA). Three thousand seven hundred seventy-six patients received platelet transfusions: 24.7% paediatric and 75.3% adult patients, 79.6% outpatients and 20.4% inpatients. As much as 63.1% of all transfused PCs were fresh (stored for ≤ 3 days), 98.0% ABO-identical, and 87.3% of all PCs given to RhD? patients were RhD?. PCs were mainly transfused to haemato-oncology (76.8%) and cardiovascular surgery patients (6.5%). Overall, 84 (0.18%) TRs were reported, with allergic TRs (ATRs) being the most common. Although PC ABO compatibility and storage duration, as well as patient age and gender, showed differences in TR rate, only the use of PCs in platelet additive solution (PAS) showed a statistically significant reduction of TRs (P < 0.001).ConclusionTransfusion practice at the University Hospital Centre Zagreb resulted in almost all patients receiving ABO and RhD identical PCs, and most of them were fresh PCs. The most important factor affecting the incidence of TRs was platelet storage solution. The use of PAS effectively reduced the rate of TRs, particularly allergic TRs.     

The storage lesions: From past to future

Red blood cell (RBC) concentrates are stored in additive solutions at 4 ^oC for up to 42 days, whereas platelets concentrates (PCs) are stored at 22 ^oC with continuous agitation for up to 5 to 7 days, according national regulations, and the use or not of pathogen inactivation procedures. Storage induces cellular lesion and alters either RBC or platelet metabolism, and is associated with protein alterations. Some age-related alterations prove reversible, while other changes are irreversible, notably following protein oxidation. It is likely that any irreversible damage affects the blood component quality and thus the transfusion efficiency. Nevertheless, there still exists a debate surrounding the impact of storage lesions, for both RBCs and PCs. Uncertainty is not completely resolved. Several studies show a tendency for poorer outcomes to occur in patients receiving older blood products; however, no clear significant association has yet been demonstrated. The present short review aims to promote a better understanding of the occurrence of storage lesions, with particular emphasis on biochemical modifications opening discussions of the future advancement of blood transfusion processes. The paper is also an advocacy for the implementation of an independent international organization in charge of planning and controlling clinical studies in transfusion medicine, in order to base transfusion medicine practices both on security principles, but also on clinical evidences.     

TRALI-new challenges for histocompatibility and immunogenetics in transfusion medicine

Antibodies against human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) have long been associated with transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). In contrast to febrile transfusion reactions and refractoriness to platelet transfusions in immunized patients, the causative antibodies in TRALI are present in the transfused blood component, i.e. they are formed by the blood donor and not by the recipient. Consequently, blood components with high plasma volume are particularly associated with TRALI. In addition to antibodies against HLAs, antibodies directed against human neutrophil antigens (HNAs) present in the plasma of predominantly multiparous female blood donors can induce severe TRALI reactions. Especially, antibodies to HLA class II and HNA-3a antigens can induce severe or even fatal ALI in critically ill patients. Over the last decade, the clinical importance of TRALI as major cause for severe transfusion-related morbidities has led to the establishment of new guidelines aimed at preventing this condition, including routine testing for HLA and -HNA antibodies for plasma donors with a history of allogeneic sensitization. This, in turn, poses new challenges for close collaboration between blood transfusion centers and histocompatibility and immunogenetics laboratories, for sensitive and specific detection of the relevant antibodies.     

Platelet transfusion: Current challenges

Since the late sixties, platelet concentrates are transfused to patients presenting with severe thrombocytopenia, platelet function defects, injuries, or undergoing surgery, to prevent the risk of bleeding or to treat actual hemorrhage. Current practices differ according to the country or even in different hospitals and teams. Although crucial advances have been made during the last decades, questions and debates still arise about the right doses to transfuse, the use of prophylactic or therapeutic strategies, the nature and quality of PC, the storage conditions, the monitoring of transfusion efficacy and the microbiological and immunological safety of platelet transfusion. Finally, new challenges are emerging with potential new platelet products, including cold stored or in vitro produced platelets. The most debated of these points are reviewed.     

Case report: solid-phase platelet crossmatching to support the alloimmunized patient

Platelet crossmatching by a solid-phase red cell adherence assay was used to provide compatible platelets for two alloimmunized patients with leukemia. In this study, a successful platelet transfusion was defined as giving a corrected count increment (CCI) of >7,500 in a posttransfusion sample. For patient A, a total of 205 random platelet concentrates (PCs) were crossmatched. Eleven were considered compatible. These 11 PCs were transfused during five transfusion episodes. Four of the five transfusions produced CCIs of >7,500 and were considered successful. Individually, eight of the eleven units were considered in vivo compatible, and five of the eight donors of these units agreed to become apheresis donors. Platelets from three of these five apheresis donors gave CCIs of >7,500. For patient B, 1,074 random PCs were crossmatched, and 332 were considered compatible. These units were administered during 78 different transfusions. Seventy-one of these transfusion episodes resulted in CCIs of >7,500. In addition, 19 apheresis donors were identified by platelet crossmatching, and they provided platelets for 38 of 39 successful transfusions for Patient B. Platelet crossmatching should therefore be considered when a blood bank is called upon to support a refractory thrombocytopenic patient.     

An overview of red blood cell and platelet alloimmunisation in transfusion

Post-transfusion alloimmunisation is the main complication of all those observed after one or more transfusion episodes. Alloimmunisation is observed after the transfusion of red blood cell concentrates but also of platelet concentrates. Besides alloimmunisation due to antigens carried almost exclusively by red blood cells such as those of the Rhesus-Kell system, alloimmunisation often raises against HLA antigens; the main responsibility for that, apart from platelet transfusions, lies with residual leukocytes in the products transfused, hence the central importance of effective leukoreduction right from the blood product preparation stage. Alloimmunization is not restricted to transfusion, but it is also observed during pregnancies, carrying out microtransfusions of blood from the fetus immunizing the mother through the placenta (in a retrograde way). Preexisting maternal-fetal immunization can complicate a transfusion program and intensify the creation of alloantibodies in several blood and tissue group systems. The occurrence of autoantibodies, created by several pathogenic reasons, can also interfere with the propensity of certain recipients of blood components to produce alloantibodies. The genetic condition of individuals is in fact strongly linked to the ability or not to recognize antigenic variants foreign to their own biological program and mount an alloimmune response. Some hemoglobin diseases, in carriers of which transfusions can be iterative and lifelong, are complicated by frequent alloimmunizations and amplification of the complications of these alloimmunizations, imposing even stricter transfusion rules. This review details the mechanisms favoring the occurrence of alloimmunization and the immunological principles for the production of molecular and cellular tools for alloimmunization. It concludes with the main preventive measures available to limit the occurrence of these frequent complications of varying severity but sometimes severe.     

Seven-day storage of single donor platelets in polyolefin bags: clinical, biochemical, morphological and microbiological evaluation

We compared the in vitro and in vivo function of fresh and stored platelet concentrates (PCs) collected by an automated continuous-flow blood cell separator (CS 3000 Fenwal) in a closed-system apheresis kit in order to evaluate the possibility of extending the storage time to seven days with the polyolefin container (PL-732). The initial 220 ml platelet volume (5.14 +/- 1.23 x 10(11) was divided into two parts. Half was transfused and the other half was stored for 7 days. All cultured units were negative for bacterial contamination. Mean counts for fresh and stored platelets were respectively 2.34 +/- 0.59 and 2.17 +/- 0.50 X 10(11)/100 ml of PCs (mean recovery 88.7 +/- 11.9%). The pO2 levels were maintained during storage (179.9 +/- 30.5 mmHg) but pCO2, pH, LDH, osmolality, glucose consumption, bicarbonates, ATP, and osmotic stress values changed significantly after 7 days storage. From a clinical point of view, in 14 patients receiving a total of 38 PC transfusions no statistically significant change in corrected post-transfusional levels was observed between fresh and stored PC. Biochemical and morphological data and clinical results suggest that PCs collected with CS-3000 blood cell separator in a closed system and stored for 7 days in polyolefin bags (PL-732) can be satisfactorily employed in clinical practice.     

Platelet transfusion practice during dengue fever epidemic

Blood components especially platelet concentrates due to their short shelf life are frequently in limited supply. Appropriate use of blood components is required to ensure their availability for needy patients as well as to avoid the unnecessary risk of transfusion-transmitted diseases. Medical audit of blood transfusion practice, which forms an important part of quality assurance programme in a transfusion centre, can provide grounds for improvement in transfusion medicine practice. During the epidemic of dengue fever in Oct., 1996, 1837 patients were admitted as dengue haemorrhagic fever in a teaching hospital in Delhi. Two hundred and eight patients (11.3%) were given platelet transfusions. Retrospective analysis of these platelet transfusions was done. It was observed that in only 52 (25%) out of 208 patients the information on platelet counts was provided. History of active bleeding was obtained only in 65 (31.2%) patients. About 35% patients received unnecessary prophylactic transfusions and during 89% of the transfusion episodes inappropriate dose of platelet concentrate was given. Information regarding post-transfusion recovery could be obtained in only 16.5% of transfusion episodes. The study emphasises the need for development of specific guidelines for transfusion of blood components, constant interaction and co-ordination amongst clinicians and transfusion centre for implementation of these guidelines, and a regular medical audit to review the optimal utilisation of blood components.     

L’introduction de solutions de conservation dans les concentrés plaquettaires : vers une diminution des réactions transfusionnelles

Platelet concentrates (PC) are used in thrombocytopenia for curative or preventive treatment for hemorrhagic risk. Since five years, additive solutions have been added in PCs for several reasons; one of them is to present an interest in the intolerance in plasma reactions. The literature data have shown that these solutions entail fewer allergic reactions than PCs kept in plasma. This study was reviewed on three years of transfusion in France. The main objective of this study was to see if there was a difference in frequency when these PCs were in solution or not. All adverse reactions in recipients (ARR) occurring among PCs recipients (with and without additive solution) were analysed. The categories of ARR specifically studied were: allergies, febril non haemolytic reactions (FNHR) and the category “unknown”. This study shows that there is significantly lower incidence of allergies by introducing solution. For all ARRs, there is also a decrease in their frequency when PCs are in additive solution, it is significant except for the apheresis platelet concentrates. For categories FNHR and “unknown”, the results are opposed and/or not significant. This study confirms that introduction of additive solutions in PCs is able to reduce some allergic transfusion reactions.     

How do we forecast tomorrow’s transfusion? — Next generation transfusion practices to improve recipient safety

Recipient safety measures play a key role in overall transfusion efficacy. The key advances in safety over the first century of transfusion medicine have been the development of techniques to prevent hemolytic transfusion reactions, hemolytic disease of the newborn and transmission of viral pathogens. While these risks remain important, they affect many fewer patients than previously. We propose that some of the most important current safety issues relate to toxicities broadly encompassed by the immunomodulatory effects of allogeneic transfusion. These include (1) universal leukoreduction to mitigate nosocomial infections, inflammation and organ injury, (2) removal of stored supernatant and its attendant toxic contents that cause dysfunctional immunity and organ injury, (3) avoiding infusing ABO incompatible antigen and antibody that can lead to bleeding, platelet refractoriness and inflammation, (3) minimizing prophylactic transfusions (particularly of plasma and platelets) except where benefit is proven, and (4) avoiding use of normal saline which is linked to renal failure and possibly hemolysis. Accompanying these safety measures will be the continued growth of one of the most important safety measures, patient blood management, which has as one benefit the avoidance of unnecessary and harmful transfusions. Reducing the toxicity of transfusions will enhance the improved clinical outcomes seen with patient blood management.     

Platelet transfusion and allergic transfusion reactions: experiences at Lille Hospital over a four year period]

Among the immediate transfusion reactions caused by the utilization of blood products, those suggesting immuno-allergic mechanisms posed problems for frequency, gravity, laboratory diagnosis and safety. We report here the Lille Hospital's experience over a four-year period concerning these manifestations after platelet concentrate transfusion. Eight hundred and fifty-two immediate transfusion reactions have been declared, of which 230 were allergic, which appeared in 181 patients (27%). Among the most frequent clinical signs, rash was often described (158 cases: 68.7%); less frequent were respiratory problems such as dyspnea (34 cases: 14.8%) and hypotensive reactions (18 cases: 7.8%). Seven patients presented severe reactions (3%). Twenty percent of them presented multiple allergic reactions and in 43.2%, the recurrence was more serious than the initial problem in spite of preventive medication; the use of washed blood components was necessary. The age of platelet concentrates does not appear to play a part in provoking these events (67% of platelet concentrates had been collected within four days). These allergic transfusion reactions posed problems for those who prescribe medication, because they are frequent, sometimes serious, can recur and at present, the proposed medication prevention is not always efficient.     

Peritransplantation Red Blood Cell Transfusion Is Associated with Increased Risk of Graft-versus-Host Disease after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

More than 90% of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients receive red blood cell (RBC) or platelet transfusions in the peritransplantation period. We tested the hypothesis that transfusions are associated with the development of severe (grade III-IV) acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) or mortality after allo-HSCT in a retrospective study of 322 consecutive patients receiving an allogeneic bone marrow or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized blood stem cell graft for a hematologic malignancy. Counting transfused RBC and platelet units between day ?7 pretransplantation and day +27 post-transplantation, but excluding transfusions administered after a diagnosis of aGVHD, yielded medians of 5 RBC units and 2 platelet units transfused. Sixty-three patients (20%) developed a maximal grade III-IV aGVHD with onset up to day +150 post-transplantation (median aGVHD onset of 28 days). HLA mismatch (hazard ratio [HR], 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2 to 4.7; P?=?.01), and transfusion of more than the median number of RBC units (HR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1 to 3.7; P?=?.02) were independently associated with greater risk of grade III-IV aGVHD in a multivariable analysis model. Disease risk strata (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.4 for high risk versus low risk; P?=?.005) and transfusion of?more than the median number of RBC units (HR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.0 to 2.0; P?=?.054) were independently associated with inferior overall survival. These data support our hypothesis that peritransplantation RBC transfusions are associated with the risk of developing severe aGVHD and worse overall survival following allo-HSCT, and suggest that strategies to reduce routine RBC transfusion may favorably reduce the incidence and severity of GVHD.     

Transfusion de plaquettes : produits,indications, dose,seuil, efficacité

The quality of platelet concentrates had been greatly improved since the implementation of processing techniques based on the use of the buffy-coat in the years 1980. More recently, in the last 10 years, it is in the domain of safety that the greatest advances have been done, by the introduction of platelet additive solutions, on one hand, and by the progressive availability of pathogen reduction techniques, on the other hand. These developments in quality and safety of platelet components are important, as they lead to the conclusion that nowadays, apheresis platelet concentrates and pooled random donor platelet concentrates can be considered as equivalent, the only specific indication of the former being the care of HLA or HPA allo-immunized patients. This review covers the physiological basis of prophylactic and curative platelet transfusions, and the means to evaluate their efficacy. The main investigations that are necessary to perform in the event of an inefficient prophylactic transfusion are also mentioned. Platelet transfusion is an essential part of the transfusion support in case of central thrombocytopenia, and more indications in other medical and surgical situations are well defined. The vast majority of clinical situations in which platelet transfusions are indicated have been defined in the national guidelines published in 2003 by the AFSSAPS French authority, and are still fully valid today. Therefore, only some specific domains for which recent published data are questioning our present practices are discussed, such as the use of platelet concentrates in massive transfusion. Finally, three critical factors for establishing a coherent platelet transfusion strategy are developed: the transfusion trigger for prophylactic platelet transfusion, the platelet dose, and the impact of ABO compatibility between the product and the recipient.     

Effects of Prestorage vs Poststorage Leukoreduction on the Rate of Febrile Nonhemolytic Transfusion Reactions to Platelets

The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions (FNHTRs) to concurrent transfusions of prestorage-leukoreduced (PreSLR) pooled platelets, poststorage-leukoreduced (PostSLR) pooled platelets, nonleukoreduced (NonLR) pooled platelets, and apheresis single-donor platelets (SDPs) to compare the rates of FNHTRs to PreSLR vs PostSLR pooled platelets. Reported transfusion reactions to platelets at 15 hospitals for a period of 45 months were retrospectively reviewed. Reaction rates to different types of platelet products were calculated and compared. During the study period, 70,015 platelet transfusions were administered. Among these, 152 (0.22%) FNHTRs and 111 (0.16%) allergic transfusion reactions were seen. Reported rates of FNHTRs were 0.07% (SDP), 0.16% (PreSLR), 0.30% (PostSLR), and 0.20% (NonLR) (P < .05 for PreSLR vs PostSLR). Rates of allergic reactions were 0.16% (SDP), 0.17% (PreSLR), 0.18% (PostSLR), and 0.11% (NonLR) (P > .05). The rates of reported FNHTRs were low for all types of platelet transfusions. SDPs and PreSLR pooled platelets were associated with a slightly lower rate of FNHTR compared with PostSLR pooled platelets.     

Predictors of increased transfusion requirements and optimizing transfusional support in patients on Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)

ECMO has an established role in neonatal, paediatric and adult patients with cardiac and/or respiratory failure who failed to respond to conventional therapies. It provides temporary cardiopulmonary support until the recovery of the patients or the institution of definitive treatment. Patients undergoing ECMO, especially adults, have high requirements for all blood components. High transfusional needs have been associated with increased mortality in the adults. Neonatal patients generally have lower overall transfusion requirements than the adults. The significant transfusion requirements among ECMO patients is contributed by increased bleeding from the need for systemic anticoagulation to reduce circuit thrombosis, activation and consumption of platelets and clotting factors, and anaemia from haemodilution and haemolysis. The need to prime the ECMO circuit with red cells may also account for part of the neonatal transfusion requirements There can be wide inter-individual variations in the transfusion requirements of ECMO patients. Differences in pre-determined transfusion triggers may account for differences in blood utilization between centers. Central cannulation can be associated with higher cannulation bleeding rates and blood utilization than peripheral cannulation. In neonates, factors associated with increased daily platelet transfusions include the use of venoarterial ECMO and the presence of concomitant sepsis and meconium aspiration. Neonates with sepsis or congenital diaphragmatic hernia may have the highest overall platelet transfusions due to longer ECMO duration. Neonates with intracranial haemorrhage were observed to require more platelet transfusions. In our retrospective analyses of adult ECMO patients in a cardiothoracic surgical unit in Singapore, there were positive correlations of total red cell, platelet and FFP transfusions with ECMO duration which in turn increased in non-surgical or septic patients. On multivariate analyses, nadir haemoglobin of <7.5 g/dL associated with increased average daily red cell and FFP transfusions. Recent antiplatelet usage and maximum haemoblobin decline of >5.5 g/dl while on ECMO independently associated with increased average daily platelet transfusions. In addition, increased ECMO duration (which correlated negatively with nadir platelet count) was also independently associated with average daily transfusion of >3 platelet concentrate units. Bleeding was not an independent factor associated with any of the blood component utilization. Our findings suggest that the patients' haemoglobin levels and the perceived need to minimize coagulopathies among patients with significant anaemia and/or additional bleeding risks may have the greatest impact on clinicians' transfusion decisions in adult patients undergoing ECMO. Measures including the use of activated recombinant factor VII to reduce haemorrhage, and reduction in allogeneic blood transfusion with the use of an autotransfusion device during elective changes of ECMO systems have been reported to reduce transfusion requirements. Close collaboration between the transfusion service and the ECMO team is necessary to optimize the transfusion support of patients undergoing ECMO.     

Significance of platelet-reactive antibody screening for patients facing frequent platelet transfusions

It is not clear whether platelet-reactive antibody screening is clinically significant for patients facing frequent platelet transfusions. On the basis of data from 96 patients who had been examined for platelet-reactive antibodies by the mixed passive hemagglutination method for a variety of reasons, we investigated the following three issues retrospectively: (1) the relationship between platelet-reactive antibodies and the occurrence of problems in platelet transfusions, such as refractoriness or nonhemolytic reactions; (2) the influence of a history of transfusion on the production of those antibodies; and (3) the effect of screening for those antibodies on the prompt administration of appropriate platelet components. More than half of the platelet transfusion-related problems were associated with platelet-reactive antibodies. For patients with a history of transfusion, the mean period before a clinical problem occurred with platelet transfusions was 9 days,compared with 66 days for those without such a history. Accordingly, during the period, patients with a history of transfusions received fewer units of platelets and had fewer donor exposures than did patients without such a history. On the other hand, most patients who had been screened in advance for those antibodies received appropriate platelet components without delay, whereas an average of 10 days was needed before those who had not been screened received compatible platelets. The patients who had not been screened were transfused with 68 units of random platelets on average during the period. When frequent platelet transfusions are anticipated, especially for patients with a history of transfusion, screening for platelet-reactive antibodies beforehand would be helpful for prompt administration of appropriate platelets, although problems, such as the cost of those platelets and the burden on donors, remain to be resolved.     

Analysis of 516 reports of reactions after the transfusion of labile blood products]

BACKGROUND: In order to assess the implemented preventive measures of transfusion reactions (TR) and to make a study of residual reactions, we analyzed 516 TR reports from 14 hospitals, for three years since 1996 to 1998. METHODS: Clinical signs were classified according to seven etiologic categories. Systematic anti-erythrocyte and anti-leucocyte detection, as well as bacterial control of the returned bag were performed. RESULTS: The TR incidence is 3.7 per 1.000 products. Platelet concentrates (PC) provoke 7.4 TR per 1.000 transfusions, and red cell concentrates (RCC) 3.8. There are as many TR with apheresis platelets (AP), pre-storage leuco-depleted, as with random platelets, post-storage leuco-depleted, and as many with leuco-depleted RCC as with non leuco-depleted RCC. Leuco-depleted AP provoke more allergic reactions than other blood components. TR with AP are much more frequent in children than in adults. Plasma removal from AP before transfusion decreases reaction frequency. CONCLUSIONS: The lack in efficacy failure of pre-storage deleucocytation in TR prevention should be due to related patient factors. Etiology of AP allergic reactions deserves further study. PC suspension in synthetic medium before transfusion is an efficient means for RT decreasing. Hemovigilance system has to be improved so that all TR be reported.     

洗涤血小板的质量检验和临床疗效观察

目的探讨洗涤血小板的制备方法、质量和临床应用效果。方法采用改良的全自动血细胞分离机制备洗涤血小板制剂。并应用生化方法、血细胞分析法和流式细胞技术对洗涤血小板中蛋白清除率、白细胞清除率、血小板回收率、血小板粘附聚集功能和CD62P、PAC-1的表达情况进行检测；观察输注洗涤血小板的临床疗效、过敏反应和非溶血性发热反应的发生情况。并与单采浓缩血小板比较。结果洗涤血小板的蛋白清除率为99％，白细胞清除率为85％，血小板回收率达95％；血小板洗涤前后的粘附率、聚集率、CD62P＋和PAC-1^＋表达率无统计学意义；临床输注后有效率达83％，与单采浓缩血小板输注有效率90％相比较无统计学意义。并且非溶血性发热反应和过敏反应的发生率分别下降了94．12％（16／17）和100％（13／13）。结论经该方法制备的洗涤血小板质量符合要求，血小板功能未受影响，临床输注后过敏反应和非溶血性发热反应明显下降，临床疗效肯定。     

Transfusion medicine: Overtime paradigm changes and emerging paradoxes

This essay aims to discuss some aspects of blood transfusion in the perspective of the changes that occurred over time as well as modifications of the paradigms that transformed the activities and the organization of blood transfusion services. Without specific knowledge, pioneers envisioned precision and personalized medicine, rendering transfusion medicine operational. Transfusion medicine is like The Picture of Dorian Grey: always young despite being old and sometimes appearing old-fashioned. Over the years, the transfusion medicine discipline has evolved, and major progress has been achieved, despite some troublesome periods (for example, the tainted blood scandal, and—at the time being—the offending plasma market and the selling of human parts). Transfusion medicine has at all times implemented the rapidly developing biomedical technologies to secure blood components. The safety of blood components has now reached an exceptional level in economically wealthy countries, especially compared to other health care disciplines. Strengthening of the safety has mandated that blood donors and recipients are unrelated, an issue which has eased preservation and fractionation practices; blood is no longer arm-to-arm transfused and neither is whole blood, the commonest component. However, it is interesting to note that a revival is occurring as whole blood is back on stage for certain specific indications, which is one among the many paradoxes encountered while studying this discipline.