ABSTRACT

The purpose of this chapter is to speculate on the impact of red blood cell (RBC) substitutes on the practice of blood banking and transfusion medicine around the world. As a basis for this discussion, the systems that currently exist for the collection and distribution of blood and blood components are described briefly. The pressures moving the field of blood banking and transfu­ sion medicine today are also considered as we attempt to imagine how the current trajectory will intersect with the development of RBC substitutes.