Blood Products and Transfusions

The need for transfusion of blood products is common in critically ill patients. Packed red blood cells (PRBCs) are the most commonly transfused blood products with approximately 17 million RBC products transfused yearly in the USA. Other blood products, including plasma, prothrombin complex concentrates, platelets, and cryoprecipitate, are frequently used. The majority of RBC products are PRBCs produced from donated whole blood in an anticoagulant preservative solution; 11% are collected by RBC apheresis. Unmodified RBC preparations contain small amounts of plasma, platelets, and leukocytes. In non-bleeding patients each RBC unit will increase the hemoglobin by 1 g/dL and the hematocrit by 3%.