Abstract
Blood, and the blood components, packed red blood cells (pRBC), platelet concentrate (PC), plasma and cryoprecipitate, have traditionally been transfused to maintain or improve oxygen delivery, blood volume and/or haemostatic capacity. There is, however, emerging evidence that blood components may support other alternative functions beyond oxygen delivery, blood volume and haemostasis. Thus, PC may through their functions as innate immunological effector cells improve immune competence. Plasma may through its endothelial protective and repairing functions improve vascular integrity and hence outcome in critical illness. Erythrocytes and thus pRBC may be critical regulators of the vascular, haemostatic and immune systems through their haemostatic function, their chemokine scavenging capacity and their endothelial crosstalk functions. Finally, the blood cell derived vesicles present in all blood components seem to influence the vascular, haemostatic and immune systems in a way that goes far beyond that of passive by‐products. The present review reveals, and discusses, some emerging new functions of blood and blood components and thus alternative indications for transfusion.
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