Transfusion medicine for the pediatrician

Over the past few years, major changes in transfusion medicine have improved the safety of the supply of blood, particularly in the areas of infectious disease testing and processing. Since about 1990, blood banking has been regulated as a manufacturing process similar to the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. This has led to more uniform blood products with more predictable outcomes. Recommendations have been made for universal leukoreduction, more uniform collection of blood products, pathogen inactivation of blood products, and a quest for a "zero risk" blood product. These new practices and regulations have made blood banking more complex, resulting in the acquisition of many local blood banks by the two major blood suppliers: Blood Systems Inc. and the American Red Cross.