The Effects of Blood Transfusions

Autologous blood has been regarded as a standard of care by many physicians, the increased safety of allogeneic blood and the expense of autologous blood have raised questions about the role of autologous donations. However, receiving any transfusion poses a risk to the patient. Due to the increased awareness of transfusion-transmitted viruses, many patients are unwilling to receive allogeneic transfusions. Large numbers of patients are treated without blood products. Many institutions have created bloodless surgery centers. Some of this is the result of the efforts of the Jehovah\u27s Witness population. Members of the Jehovah\u27s Witness faith believe that they are prohibited from receiving blood transfusions, based on their interpretation of the Bible. Their refusal to accept blood can be an ethical challenge to physicians. The Jehovah\u27s Witness adult patient has a right to refuse blood transfusions and the health care professional has an obligation to carry out the patient\u27s request. This paper will give the background of blood transfusions, review autologous and allogeneic blood transfusions, consider the beliefs of Jehovah\u27s Witnesses about blood transfusions and investigate the options for bloodless surgery