Many lifesaving medical treatments require blood transfusions. Which and how many blood products are given to a patient will depend on his or her individual needs. Some of the patients who typically require blood transfusions are:
- Cancer patients
- Leukemia patients
- Burn patients
- Those receiving organ or bone marrow transplants
- Premature babies
- Victims of traumatic injuries and accidents
- Patients undergoing certain surgeries
To get an idea of how much blood is used for different procedures, check out the table below. Keep in mind that one donor generally gives one unit.
| Liver Transplant | 6–10 units of red blood cells 20 units of plasma 10 units of platelets |
| Kidney Transplant | 1–2 units of red blood cells |
| Heart Transplant | 2–6 units of red blood cells |
| Adult Open-heart Surgery | 2–6 units of red blood cells 2–4 units of plasma 1–10 units of platelets |
| Newborn Open-heart Surgery | 1–4 units of red blood cells 1–2 units of plasma 1–4 units of platelets |
| Prostate Cancer Surgery | 2–4 units of red blood cells |
| Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm | 4–6 units of red blood cells |
| Bone Marrow Transplant | 1–2 units of red blood cells every other day for 2-4 weeks 6–8 units of platelets daily for 4-6 weeks |
| Automobile Accident | 4–40 units of red blood cells |
| Leukemia | 2–6 units of red blood cells 6–8 units of platelets daily for 2-4 weeks |
| Sickle Cell Disease | 10–15 units of red blood cells to treat severe complications |
| Premature Newborn | 1–4 units of red blood cells while in intensive care |
Source: The Lewin Group, Inc. cited Jeffrey McCullough, M.D., Center for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, University of Minnesota.
