When someone gives blood, the donation is usually separated into components to use for specific needs. But in some cases, a donation is kept for whole blood transfusions.
Paul Hill, the microbiology and transfusion services coordinator at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center, outlines what to know about whole blood below.
What is whole blood? Whole blood is simply blood that has not been altered. It contains all of the blood’s components, including red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma, or the liquid part.
When did whole blood transfusions start? When blood transfusions were first used in medicine, whole blood was the only option. But researchers soon realized it could be helpful to separate blood into its different components and use just what was needed for treatment.
For instance, packed red blood cells may be used to treat conditions such as anemia, platelets may be used for blood clotting issues, and plasma may be used for volume replacement and coagulation needs.
“They started separating blood out to better tailor to the patient’s needs,” Hill said. “Most patients just need individual components and separating it has storage advantages.”
But years later, the U.S. Armed Forces discovered that when treating patients with massive blood loss from battlefield wounds, it was best to use whole blood.
That research impacted the broader field of medicine, and several years ago, hospitals began stocking whole blood to treat patients suffering from severe blood loss due to trauma, major surgeries or other issues.
How many people need whole blood? Not many. At YVMC, whole blood has been kept on hand for the past year. During that time, it has been administered to eight patients. By comparison, up to 10 patients receive packed red blood cells each week.
“Whole blood is a small fraction of the blood transfusion population,” Hill said. “But if you are one of those patients, it is very beneficial.”
Studies show various benefits of using whole blood when patients have sustained massive bleeding.
“If you’re able to provide a patient with this early on, they use less total blood throughout their hospital stay and have better overall health outcomes,” Hill said.
Before whole blood was available, patients who had lost significant amounts of blood would have received packed red blood cells first, then other components as needed.
“When you give just that, you’re not replacing everything else they’re losing,” Hill said. “This way, you replace everything they’ve lost immediately.”
What are challenges with having whole blood on hand? Various logistics are involved in keeping whole blood on hand. For one, it doesn’t last as long as the components of blood — whole blood lasts for three weeks from collection, while blood components can last 45 days to months. That means that if a unit of whole blood isn’t used quickly, it needs to be sent somewhere it will be used, and then a new donation shipped in.
But it’s worth it. “It can greatly benefit the outcome of a patient’s course of treatment,” Hill said.
Who can donate whole blood? Whole blood donations are collected from people with Type O blood who have very low naturally occurring levels of antibodies to other blood groups. “There’s a limited donor population that can donate this blood,” Hill said.
While blood cannot be donated in Steamboat Springs, it can be collected in nearby cities such as Denver and Fort Collins.
“Donating blood greatly benefits the medical system, whether the blood gets used as whole blood or separated into individual components,” Hill said. “It’s a great benefit either way.”
Susan Cunningham writes for UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center. She can be reached at cunninghamsbc@gmail.com.
