blood disorders
Precautions and Adverse Reactions During Blood Transfusion
Complications of massive transfusion
Massive transfusion is transfusing a volume of blood equal to the person's total blood volume (about 10 units in an average adult) in a period of 24 hours or less. Such transfusion is sometimes necessary after a severe injury or during certain surgical procedures. The main complications of massive transfusion are poor blood clotting (coagulopathy) and a low body temperature ( Hypothermia ). Blood clotting is impaired because the transfused blood does not contain enough of the substances ( Blood clotting factors and Sometimes, massive transfusion can cause Hypocalcemia (Low Level of Calcium in the Blood) (low calcium level in the blood) and/or Because blood is refrigerated while in storage, transfusion of many units of blood may result in a low body temperature. To prevent a low body temperature due to massive transfusion, doctors use a special device that gently warms the blood as it passes through the intravenous tubing. 