Blood Recycling in Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Perspectives and Hopes

Abstract

Gastrointestinal bleeding carries high risk of mortality for both children and adults. One of the most lifesaving interventions in their management is the timely resuscitation with optimum blood transfusion [1]. However, many obstacles still present in spite of the widespread blood banks and advances in stored blood preparation. Shortage in donors relative to the high needs, rare blood groups, transfusion reactions, the blood transfusion risk of infection, incompatible cross matching even for the same ABO blood group secondary to previous frequent transfusions are some of the transfusion related problems.