Where Do We Stand on "Buddy Transfusion" During Military Operations?

Abstract

Warm fresh whole-blood transfusion between comrades on the battlefield, also known as "buddy transfusion," has been thrust back into the limelight for several years now. It means drawing blood on the battlefield, once a bleeding soldier needs a transfusion, from one of their uninjured companions and immediately infusing it. It is a lifesaving procedure, effective and hardy. This work aims to answer the main questions that military caregivers might have about it: interest of this procedure, donor and recipient safety, and hemostatic capacity of the blood collected this way.