Transfusion medicine

Transfusion medicine (or transfusiology) is the branch of medicine that is concerned with transfusion of blood and blood components. It encompasses issues of blood donation, immunohematology and other laboratory testing, transfusion practices, therapeutic apheresis, stem cell collections, cellular therapy, and coagulation. Laboratory management and understanding of state and federal regulations related to blood products are also a large part of the field.

Transfusion Medicine is a branch of clinical pathology. Physicians from a wide range of backgrounds, including pathology, internal medicine, anesthesiology and pediatrics, are eligible for board certification in Transfusion Medicine following a 1–2 year fellowship. It is a board-certified subspecialty recognized by the American Board of Pathology. These specialists are often considered consultants for physicians who require expert advice on the subjects listed above.

The blood donor center is the facility that collects and processes blood products. The blood bank is the section of the clinical laboratory where clinical laboratory scientists process and distribute blood products. Both areas are typically overseen by either a general pathologist or a specialist in Transfusion Medicine.

In 1628, English physician William Harvey discovered that blood circulates around the body. Soon thereafter, the first blood transfusion was attempted. In 1665 another English doctor Richard Lower successfully used blood transfusion between dogs to keep them alive.

Karl Landsteiner is recognized as the father of transfusion medicine. Karl Landsteiner is credited with the first classification of human blood into the four types (A, B, AB, O) of the ABO blood group system.

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