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Critical Care Medicine

Blood and Its Components

To identify the key insights or developments described in this article

1 Credit CME

JAMA

Published Online: November 21, 2023

JAMA Insights

Article Information and Disclosures

Claudia S. Cohn, MD, PhD¹;

Beth H. Shaz, MD, MBA²

Author Affiliations

¹Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
²Department of Pathology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

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Blood transfusion is one of the most common medical procedures and can be lifesaving. In the US, approximately 11 million units of red blood cells (RBCs), 2.5 million units of platelets, 2.2 million units of plasma, and 1.2 million units of cryoprecipitate are transfused annually.¹

Prior to donation, blood donors are screened for eligibility with a health history questionnaire, targeted physical examination, and measurement of hemoglobin level. Donated blood is most commonly collected as whole blood. A whole blood donation yields 1 unit of RBCs and 1 unit of plasma. Its platelet component may be pooled with platelets from 3 to 4 other donors to prepare a therapeutic dose of platelets. Blood collection can also be performed by apheresis, which uses a special machine to collect multiple specific blood components (RBCs, plasma, platelets, and/or white blood cells). Most transfusions are provided as blood components, which allows whole blood to be transfused to more than 1 individual, targets transfusions to patients’ specific needs, and facilitates optimal storage of each blood component. The Figure summarizes important characteristics of blood and its components.²

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Article Information

Corresponding Author: Beth H. Shaz, MD, MBA, Duke University, 9400 Pratt St, Ste 9011, Durham, NC 27705 (beth.shaz@duke.edu).

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Shaz reported other (Department of Defense [advisor, Chilled Platelet Study]); and royalties from Elsevier outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

References

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Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies; American Red Cross; America’s Blood Centers; Armed Forces Blood Program. Circular of information for the use of human blood and blood components. 2021. Accessed September 6, 2023. https://www.aabb.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/resources/circular-of-information-watermark.pdf?sfvrsn=7f5d28ab_5

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Roubinian NH , Plimier C , Woo JP , et al. Effect of donor, component, and recipient characteristics on hemoglobin increments following red blood cell transfusion. Blood. 2019;134(13):1003-1013. doi:10.1182/blood.2019000773 PubMed Google Scholar Crossref

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Connelly-Smith L , Alquist CR , Aqui NA , et al. Guidelines on the use of therapeutic apheresis in clinical practice. J Clin Apher. 2023;38(2):77-278.PubMed Google Scholar Crossref

Hess AS . What’s in your transfusion ? Anesthesiology. 2023. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000004655 PubMed Google Scholar Crossref

Grottke O , Mallaiah S , Karkouti K , Saner F , Haas T . Fibrinogen supplementation and its indications. Semin Thromb Hemost. 2020;46(1):38-49. doi:10.1055/s-0039-1696946 PubMed Google Scholar Crossref

AMA CME Accreditation Information

Credit Designation Statement: The American Medical Association designates this Journal-based CME activity activity for a maximum of 1.00  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to:

1.00 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;;
1.00 Self-Assessment points in the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery’s (ABOHNS) Continuing Certification program;
1.00 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;
1.00 Lifelong Learning points in the American Board of Pathology’s (ABPath) Continuing Certification program; and
1.00 credit toward the CME of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program

It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting MOC credit.