Abstract
Introduction: The refusal of blood products by Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) is one of the most frequent cases of refusal of medical treatment. Blood consents enable patients to express their preferences but critically ill patients often do not have the capacity to make these decisions. The general practice is for JWs to carry a specific wallet-sized advanced directive (AD) blood refusal card on their person which lists specific fractionated blood products that are, or are not, acceptable to them. We review the medical, ethical, and legal considerations for transfusing these patients and also discuss some of the challenges in treating a patient without the blood AD for both emergent and routine transfusions that may save his or her life.
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