A transfusion is blood (or a component of it) given through a vein to a patient whose own levels are too low, from surgery, injury, childbirth, cancer treatment, or conditions like thalassemia. This page explains what actually happens, so families know what they are arranging and why.
Whole blood is rarely transfused
Hospitals almost never transfuse “whole blood” anymore. One donation is separated into components, and the patient receives only what they lack:
- Red cells, carry oxygen. Needed after heavy blood loss, severe anaemia, childbirth complications. This is what most “we need blood” emergencies mean.
- Platelets, help clotting. Needed in dengue, blood cancers, chemotherapy. Shelf life is only about five days, which is why platelet shortages are sudden.
- Plasma, the liquid carrying proteins and clot factors. Used for burns, liver disease, and clotting factor deficiencies; the base for many medicines.
- Sometimes granulocytes or specialised products for specific cases.
Why this matters to you: the requisition slip from the treating doctor names the exact component. Arrange donors for that component; a red-cell donation cannot plug a platelet gap, though one donor can sometimes give platelets by apheresis directly.
How safety works at a licensed centre
Every unit, no exceptions at a licensed blood bank:
- Donor screening, health questionnaire, haemoglobin, blood pressure, pulse; anyone with risk factors is deferred, not judged.
- Testing, HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, malaria on every single unit.
- Grouping and crossmatch, your group is confirmed, then the donor unit is laboratory-matched against the patient’s sample before issue. Compatibility charts are simplifications; the crossmatch is the real gate.
- Cold chain, refrigerated storage with continuous temperature logs; units that break the chain are discarded.
This is why transfusion only happens through licensed centres, and why “arranging a donor” always means routing them to a centre, never to a bedside.
Risks, honestly
Transfusion is routine and heavily regulated, but not zero-risk, which is why doctors order it when genuinely needed:
- Minor reactions (fever or rash during or shortly after) are the most common and are managed easily.
- Serious reactions are rare and made rarer by crossmatching and trained monitoring throughout the transfusion.
- Infection from a tested unit is extremely rare with modern screening.
Every transfusion is given with informed consent; ask the treating team what is being given and why, you are entitled to that conversation.
What families in Assam should do
- Get the requisition slip right, group, component, units, and the diagnosing condition, signed by the treating doctor.
- Call the hospital’s blood centre first, then check e-RaktKosh for reported availability nearby.
- If donors are needed, start with healthy relatives and friends who meet eligibility rules, or submit a request on our register and verified voluntary donors are alerted until someone accepts.
- Never pay for blood. Processing charges at licensed centres are regulated; paying for the blood itself, or for a “donor”, is illegal and unsafe. What blood costs →
- After the emergency, the kindest closure is registration: everyone who helped or watched can join the donor register so the next family starts from somewhere other than zero.
Common questions
Can I donate to my own relative? Yes, directed donation for family is common, subject to eligibility and, for some components, interval rules. The centre screens it like any donation.
How many units does a patient need? It varies enormously by condition, from one to dozens over a treatment course. The treating team writes the number on the slip; it is a medical decision, not a bargaining position.
Can I store my own blood in advance? Autologous donation exists for planned surgery in some centres; ask the treating team well before the date. It is the exception, not the routine.