ABSTRACT
Hematopoietic system topics that are most frequently encountered in surgical critical illness are listed in Table 10.1.
SUBMASSIVE TRANSFUSION The most common reason for the administration of blood products is the submassive loss of red blood cells (RBCs) or the reversal of a hypocoagulopathy that may be either disease-or therapy-induced. The potential adverse effects of RBC transfusion are listed in Table 10.2 (1-7). Many of the adverse effects appear to be linked to the presence of leukocytes in the RBC transfusion, and several may be ameliorated by processing that results in a more effective leukoreduction (1,3,6). Whether or not such a strategy will diminish the incidence of mortality and multisystem organ failure following submassive RBC transfusion remains to be determined.
