Essential aspects for the administration of blood components in hospitalized patients: A narrative literature review

Abstract

Transfusion medicine develops and disseminates guidelines that govern the optimal conditions for transfusion. The purpose of this article is to review the current evidence on the use of blood components. We searched PubMed, Scholar Google, ScienceDirect, SciELO and Cochrane web portals, as well as official documents published in the Chilean Society of Hematology. Articles from the last ten years were included, of which 42 were appropriate for this narrative literature review. First of all, there is a controversy between two types of strategies regarding the practice of red blood cell transfusion: a liberal strategy and a restrictive strategy. Second, for the management of coagulopathies, clotting times do not reflect the true ability of patients to clot. Third, to reverse the effect of coumadin, the administration of vitamin K would suffice over the use of fresh frozen plasma. Fourth, the use of physiological triggers could help define the best time for a transfusion.