Autologous Transfusion - From Euphoria to Reason: Clinical Practice Based on Scientific Knowledge - Part I

Autologous transfusion has been claimed by supreme court sentence [1], and wanted by governmental health care officials [2]. Therefore, and before the background of an increasing limitation or even shortage in resources made available for health care, it is important to critically analyse, discuss and outweigh benefits and risks of autologous and allogeneic blood transfusion under different kinds of views: The clinical impact of an immuno-modulation mediated by allogeneic blood transfusion is still open. In-line leucocyte filtration results in an improvement of the resulting blood product, and enables routine ad…