# Three questions about blood transfusions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 27, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670 "2015-04-27T20:22:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670/21 "2015-04-29T10:48:34Z")
I give blood fairly regularly. Typically, I give 2-4 units to my patients following surgery. I usually give each unit over 2 hours, so will spend 4-8 hours infusing the blood and generally spending and intensive day with my patient. I don’t have to ‘rapid infuse’ because by the time the folks come to me, the initial crisis has been solved and we are in the recovery phase. I can say that they do ‘pink up’ and feel better as soon as I am finished. Now, they have had a surgery and still have to recover from all the things that led to the surgery and the surgery itself, but I can say with confidence that the beneficial effects are very quick. I can definitely see their lips change from pale pink to the normal color during the transfusion, and usually by the time I’m finished they are starting to be more alert and active, talkative, and less sleepy/tired. ---
**Author:** ![duncs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@duncs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duncs)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670/22 "2015-04-29T10:57:56Z")
Now, this may seem like a daft question, but if someone is haemorrhaging, why can’t the blood just be poured back in to the top of the transfusion bag if it’s collected in some form of sterile container? Would/has that ever been done in an emergency where there’s no other blood available? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670/23 "2015-04-29T11:46:22Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I used to work with a woman who lost about half her blood volume immediately after giving birth, and she didn’t have a transfusion. 😕 Let me guess – Jehovah’s Witness? > [@usedtobe](#): > > Osama bin Laden had kidney failure and still managed to live in a cave (home dialysis is now common). This was a common rumor before he was killed, but is there any evidence that it was actually true? I don’t recall anyone mentioning it. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670/24 "2015-04-29T12:10:20Z")
> [@duncs](#): > > Now, this may seem like a daft question, but if someone is haemorrhaging, why can’t the blood just be poured back in to the top of the transfusion bag if it’s collected in some form of sterile container? Would/has that ever been done in an emergency where there’s no other blood available? Maybe not during an emergency, but is [standard practice during surgery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intraoperative_blood_salvage#Blood_salvage_procedures) nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670/25 "2015-04-29T12:22:02Z")
> [@Ca3799](#): > > I give blood fairly regularly. Typically, I give 2-4 units to my patients following surgery. I usually give each unit over 2 hours, so will spend 4-8 hours infusing the blood and generally spending and intensive day with my patient. I don’t have to ‘rapid infuse’ because by the time the folks come to me, the initial crisis has been solved and we are in the recovery phase. > > I can say that they do ‘pink up’ and feel better as soon as I am finished. Now, they have had a surgery and still have to recover from all the things that led to the surgery and the surgery itself, but I can say with confidence that the beneficial effects are very quick. I can definitely see their lips change from pale pink to the normal color during the transfusion, and usually by the time I’m finished they are starting to be more alert and active, talkative, and less sleepy/tired. Excellent info. Thank you. But I have to say that while reading my mental dialog went something like this: "I give [sub](as in donate)[/sub] blood fairly regularly.[sub]That’s generous.[/sub] Typically I give 2-4 units to my patients [sub]?[/sub] following surgery [sub]Huh, wah!!! That’s some dedicated surgeon, sharing their blood with the patients; wait, … Hmmm, re-read from start; this is going haywire. Oh, I get it![/sub] “I give [sub](as in administer)[/sub] blood fairly regularly. Typically, …” [sub]Whew, that’s better![/sub] And such is the entertainment on the Dope on a quiet Wednesday morning. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670/26 "2015-04-29T16:19:26Z")
> [@duncs](#): > > Now, this may seem like a daft question, but if someone is haemorrhaging, why can’t the blood just be poured back in to the top of the transfusion bag if it’s collected in some form of sterile container? Would/has that ever been done in an emergency where there’s no other blood available? There’s a process called Cell Saver where shed blood is cleaned and reinfused into the patient, but it isn’t always usable. As for the lady I worked with, I don’t think she was a JW, and it’s always possible that she didn’t lose as much blood as she told me she did. Maybe her hemoglobin was half of what it should have been afterwards, which isn’t exactly the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670/27 "2015-04-29T19:13:52Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Excellent info. Thank you. But I have to say that while reading my mental dialog went something like this: > > "I give [sub](as in donate)[/sub] blood fairly regularly.[sub]That’s generous.[/sub] Typically I give 2-4 units to my patients [sub]?[/sub] following surgery [sub]Huh, wah!!! That’s some dedicated surgeon, sharing their blood with the patients; wait, … Hmmm, re-read from start; this is going haywire. Oh, I get it![/sub] > > “I give [sub](as in administer)[/sub] blood fairly regularly. Typically, …” [sub]Whew, that’s better![/sub] > > And such is the entertainment on the Dope on a quiet Wednesday morning. Carry on. LOL- I see what you mean… now… ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2015, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670/28 "2015-05-08T12:00:00Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Not necessarily a good indication. You can make a huge mess with a very small amount of blood. Properly applied, a thimbleful of blood can turn an entire room into a gory mess. Good point. I do vaguely remember being told how many units it was, I was pretty fuzzy but I know I was surprised iirc it was between 5 and 10. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2015, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670/29 "2015-05-08T17:20:32Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Thanks…but where did the other 74 units go, so to speak? Was it bled internally into the body, which is of limited internal space? Or all bled out onto the bed and sheets, etc? Sorry for the really direct question, but this is what’s confusing me. I can’t speak to the facts in this case, but frequently when people get transfusions, they receive “blood product”, rather than “whole blood”. So after you get a few units of packed cells, and a bunch more of platelets, fresh frozen plasma, etc, you can get into serious numbers, without it all having to dribble away. Of course, if there is persistent bleeding, the numbers can get much higher very quickly. In any case, there is a multiplier effect to the numbers most people report, as they are usually speaking of units of blood product, rather than units of whole blood. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670/30 "2015-05-08T17:32:57Z")
How much blood is in a “unit”? I know when you donate blood you give a pint of blood. Is a unit a pint? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670/31 "2015-05-08T17:35:56Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > How much blood is in a “unit”? I know when you donate blood you give a pint of blood. Is a unit a pint? 450ml, which is about a pint. For small children, a unit of blood is 15ml/kg, or a tablespoon for every 2 pounds of body weight. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670/32 "2015-05-08T19:35:08Z")
> [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](#): > > I can’t speak to the facts in this case, but frequently when people get transfusions, they receive “blood product”, rather than “whole blood”. I got a copy of the hospital bill and it was 75 (actually 89 for the whole stay) units of packed red blood cells. I’d have to dig it up and see if I got platelets, plasma or just saline. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670/33 "2015-05-08T21:15:28Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > I got a copy of the hospital bill and it was 75 (actually 89 for the whole stay) > units of packed red blood cells. I’d have to dig it up and see if I got platelets, plasma or just saline. Wow! You were quite the sieve! I’m glad you’re better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-blood-transfusions/718670.md?page=1)