Open AccessAn infusion of history: transfusion medicine from the 17th century to current emergency practices
Author(s) -
Austyn Roseborough,
Divya Sanatham
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
uwomj/medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2560-8274
pISSN - 0042-0336
DOI - 10.5206/uwomj.v89i2.10516
Subject(s) - transfusion medicine , medicine , intensive care medicine , blood transfusion , medical emergency , blood management , surgery
Blood transfusions represent a key life-saving practice for the management of hemorrhage in emergency medicine and a commonly performed procedure in hospital settings. The ability to store and utilize the various components of blood, while avoiding adverse reactions and ensuring public health, is due to many historical research advances and refinements in our understanding of the circulatory and immune systems. This article will review the historical development of blood transfusion practices including the initial descriptions of animal-human transfusion, the first implementations in patient care and the translation into a widely used emergency procedure.