Are blood transfusions safe?
Severe anemia is usually corrected with a transfusion of red blood cells. This is when blood is transferred through tubes into a person’s vein. The blood may be the person’s own blood or from someone else. There is ongoing concern about the risk of infection from transfusions. Dietz says the scare began in the early 1980s with the emergence of the AIDS epidemic. “No one even wanted to donate blood because everyone was so afraid. Even now people are reluctant to get transfusions for fear of HIV and hepatitis.” “There is definitely better screening for these viruses by looking for antibodies (special proteins) in the blood. But there is still a window of time before these antibodies develop, so that you don’t know whether or not the blood is infected,” says Dietz. Hogan adds, “The odds are definitely in the patients’ favor in the United States where there is a relatively safe blood supply, but the risk has not been completely eliminated.” The American Cancer Society reports that the risk
