The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 100, 88-91, Copyright © 1990 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Informed consent, risk, and blood transfusion
J Kolins and MD Kolins
Community Blood Bank of North County, Escondido, Calif. 92025.
Informed consent for blood transfusion has become a necessity in light of
the known risks associated with this service. All transfusion services
should institute written informed consent that clearly defines the
patient's options, including the use of homologous blood, autologous blood,
and directed donations. The risk of transfusion with an infectious blood
product is dependent on the number of donors per recipient and the
prevalence of undetected, contaminated blood in the tested blood supply.
The chance that an adverse transfusion will occur can be calculated by use
of these variables. Comparative risks can be explained to patients, thereby
providing an understanding of the transfusion risk of human
immunodeficiency virus, the human T-cell leukemia virus, and the agent of
non-A, non-B hepatitis (hepatitis C).
