Blood transfusions are a life-saving therapy in numerous situations.
In the event of traumatic events, such as accidents or surgery.
In the case of chronic diseases, for example in congenital anaemias such as Thalassaemia.
In order to survive critical states due to blood diseases (leukaemia) or the effects of anti-cancer chemotherapy which, while destroying cancer cells, can also damage bone marrow cells and therefore require support for its repopulation through the infusion of red blood cells.
The use of bags of fresh blood (red blood cells and platelets) or plasma in surgery can vary, depending on the situation, from a couple of units to 10 or even 20 in complex operations such as transplants or hip replacements.
It has been estimated that approximately every 2 seconds someone needs blood worldwide.