Use of Donated Blood

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.

Community Partners