Risks, options, and informed consent for blood transfusion in elective surgery

• Published in: The American journal of surgery Vol. 159; no. 6; p. 602
• Main Authors: Goodnough, L T, Shuck, J M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-06-1990
• Subjects: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - transmission; Adult; Blood Banks; Blood Donors; Blood Transfusion; Blood Transfusion, Autologous; Child; Directed Tissue Donation; Disclosure; Graft vs Host Disease - etiology; Hepatitis C - transmission; HTLV-I Infections - transmission; Humans; Informed Consent; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Surgical Procedures, Operative; Tissue and Organ Procurement; Transfusion Reaction; Professional Patient Relationship; Health Care and Public Health
• ISSN: 0002-9610
• DOI: 10.1016/S0002-9610(06)80079-6

Blood banking is undergoing a period of significant change as a result of several concurrent issues. Blood-transmitted diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the alternatives to community-derived (homologous) blood such as autologous (patient's own) and designated (blood donor known to transfusion recipient) blood have had an impact on surgical transfusion practice. Many of these issues comprise the medicolegal elements of informed consent for elective blood transfusion, so that increasingly the need for a dialogue incorporating these issues between the transfusing physician and the potential transfusion recipient is recognized. If the process is to be effective, then early involvement of the patient in a dialogue concerning informed consent is necessary. An overview of the medical elements and content of informed consent for elective blood transfusion is presented.