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Medicine vocabulary · Treatments and Procedures

Blood transfusion

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˈblʌd trænsˌfjuːʒən/nounCommon term

In medicine, blood transfusion means: The giving of donated blood or blood products into a patient's vein, for example after heavy bleeding or for severe anemia.

In Turkish: kan transfüzyonu, kan nakli

How it is used

Doctors give or prescribe a transfusion and talk about units of red cells, platelets and plasma. Before it, a 'group and save' or 'crossmatch' sample is sent. Staff check the patient's identity carefully because transfusion errors can be fatal.

Example sentences

  1. She needed a blood transfusion after losing a lot of blood during the delivery.

  2. Some patients decline a blood transfusion for religious reasons, so we discuss alternatives early.

Common collocations

  • need a blood transfusion
  • receive a blood transfusion
  • blood transfusion reaction
  • consent for blood transfusion
  • anemiaA condition in which the blood has too little hemoglobin or too few red cells, so less oxygen reaches the body's tissues.
  • bleedingLoss of blood from a damaged blood vessel, either outside the body from a wound or inside the body, where it may not be seen.
  • cannulaA thin plastic tube placed into a vein, usually in the hand or arm, so that fluids and drugs can be given directly into the blood.
  • informed consentA patient's agreement to a treatment or procedure, given after the doctor has explained what it involves, its benefits, its risks and the alternatives.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Treatments and Procedures

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.