| The giving of blood has appeared as a medical dreamsince the time of recorded history. In ancient days great mysti-cism was attached to the powers of blood. The capacity tosafely withdraw, store and eventually transfuse blood from oneindividual to another is a stirring saga with many high and lowpoints. The modern day physician has the advantage of thispotent therapy to add to his therapeutic approaches in combatinghuman disease. Transfusion therapy has several unique aspects, both forthe physician and laboratory. In spite of increased specializa-tion, the requirement to efficiently employ blood transfusions is of concern to all physicians. The use of this form of therapy is encyclopedic and is a necessary adjunct no matter what area of medical specialization is involved. This broad use of a potent therapeutic agent requires detailed knowledge which must be mastered in a large variety of clinical settings. In the laboratory, a reversed but equally important position is assumed in the administration of blood. The technical knowl- edge required to efficiently process blood is so complex that the blood bank staff becomes a central station advising both the pathologist and clinician. We know of no other laboratory proce- dure which is so dependent on a highly skilled professional medical technologY staff. The technologist is continually aware of this unique status and its responsibilities. Errors may and do occur in many areas of laboratory medicine. Only in the blood bank, however, does the frightening spectrum arise of a death occurring in the advent of a procedural error. The present volume has been developed primarily to in- dicate the important aspects of blood banking as it applies to students in the field. It is readily apparent that the technical data cannot be divorced from the clinical framework. We have attempted to present, in a systemized fashion, the necessary information required to efficiently use and study human blood for transfusion. Voluminous literature is available to the blood banker. However, we have attempted to choose a limited number of larger works in order to reduce the necessity of searching for a multitude of references. In several places the authors were unable to hide their bias and have presented their own view without a specific reference. |
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