A neighbor tells nurse Maureen he has to have surgery and is reluctant to have any blood product transfusions because of a fear of contracting an infection. He asks the nurse what are his options. The nurse teaches the person that the safest blood product is:
A. An allogeneic product.
B. A directed donation product.
C. An autologous product.
D. A cross-matched product.
Correct Answer: C. An autologous product.
This process is the collection and reinfusion of the patient’s own blood. It is recommended by the American Medical Association’s Council on Scientific Affairs as the safest product since it eliminates recipient incompatibility and infection.
Option A: The product in option 1 is collected from a blood donor other than the recipient. Allogeneic donation is collected from a blood donor other than the recipient. Allogeneic donation, commonly referred to as whole blood donation, is the process of voluntarily donating a unit of blood (which is around 470mL) for the national supply.
Option B: The process in option 2 is also collected from a blood donor other than the recipient, but the donor is known to the recipient and is usually a family member or friend. A directed donation is the donation of blood or platelets that is designated for a specific patient. There is no scientific evidence that designated blood is safer than blood from other volunteer donors. In fact, directed donors must meet the same eligibility criteria as other volunteer donors.
Option D: Cross-matching significantly enhances compatibility. It does not detect infection. Cross-matching or crossmatching is a test performed before a blood transfusion to determine if the donor’s blood is compatible with the blood of an intended recipient. Normally, this involves adding the recipient’s blood plasma to a sample of the donor’s red blood cells.