Blood and platelet transfusion is the process of transferring blood or blood-based products, such as red blood cells, plasma, or platelets, from one person into the circulatory system of another.
There are several different components of the blood that can be transfused into an adult. Red blood cells are the most common type of blood product transfusion.
Human blood is made of a fluid called plasma that carries red and white blood cells and platelets. Each part of blood has special functions and can be separated from each other. The bone marrow is the soft, spongy material in the center of the bones that produces about 95 percent of the body's blood cells.
Platelets help control bleeding by making clots in blood vessels opened by injury or surgery. Many medical treatments, including treatments for cancer patients, organ or bone marrow transplant patients, victims of traumatic injury, and patients undergoing open heart surgery require platelet transfusions. The body may not be able to make enough platelets because of bone marrow disorders, increased destruction of platelets, or medications such as chemotherapy.