III Glossary

Allogeneic blood products: Blood products donated by other people.

Anemia: A hematological condition where there is a lack of healthy red blood cells and/or hemoglobin to carry adequate oxygen to the body’s tissues.

Autologous blood transfusion: A procedure in which blood is removed from the patient and returned to their circulation at a later time, instead of relying on blood donated by others (i.e., allogeneic blood).

Blood product: Any therapeutic substance derived from human blood, including whole blood and other blood components for transfusion, as well as plasma-derived medicinal products.

Dysfibrinogenemia: A coagulation (clotting) disorder characterized by abnormal fibrinogen.

Hemolysis: Red blood cell destruction.

Hypofibrinogenemia: A rare, autosomal dominant condition characterized by bleeding and obstetric problems such as abruption, postpartum hemorrhage, and recurrent pregnancy loss.

Microaggregate filter: A second-generation blood filter with a pore size of 20–40 µm that removes 75–90% of white cells, which is used to transfuse packed red cells.

Thrombocytopenia: Platelet deficiency causing bleeding, bruising, and slow blood clotting after injury.

Transfusion reactions: Adverse events that are directly related to the transfusion of blood products and may range from mild to severe with life-threatening effects. Transfusion reactions may be acute or delayed (i.e., up to days or weeks after the transfusion). Immune-related reactions are often due to a mismatch or incompatibility of the transfused blood product and the recipient’s blood type or Rh factor. Non-immunologic reactions are typically caused by the physical effects of the blood component or the transmission of a disease.