Blood component therapy in anesthesia and intensive care: Adoption of evidence based approaches

Transfusion of blood and its components has undergone technological advancement, and its use is increasing both perioperatively as well as in the Intensive Care Unit. The separation of blood into its various components has made it very economical as blood donated from a single donor can be utilized for many recipients at the same time. However, the transfusion of blood and its components do carry the inherent risk of various transfusion reactions as well as transmission of infections. The indications for transfusion should be strictly adhered to for preventing nonjudicious use. The health care persons involved in transfusion should be well aware of implications of the mismatched transfusion and should be able to provide treatment if such mishaps do occur. A health care professional should carefully weigh the benefits of blood transfusion against the risks involved before subjecting the patients to the transfusion. This manuscript aims to comprehensively review the current evidence based approaches in blood and component transfusion which are being followed in anesthesiology and intensive care practice.