Why is it important for sickle cell patients to receive matched blood?
Sickle cell patients should receive transfusions that are optimally matched to their own blood, or else they are at an increased risk for further complications. In the United States, one in 12 African-Americans has the sickle cell trait, and one in 400 African-American newborns has sickle cell disease. Patients with the disease may need 15 to 25 blood transfusions each year.
