Autologous transfusions are those in which patients receive their own blood. Several types of autologous donations-transfusions exist:

• Predeposit donation in which patients with a high likelihood of requiring transfusion donate their own blood for later transfusion during surgery
• Perioperative normovolemic hemodilution (withdrawal of blood immediately before surgery, with volume replacement by crystalloid solutions and subsequent re-infusion of removed blood). Also see
  • Bennett J, Haynes S, Torella F, Grainger H, McCollum C. Acute normovolemic hemodilution in moderate blood loss surgery: a randomized controlled trial. Transfusion 2006 Jul;46(7):1097-103.
• Intraoperative blood salvage
• Postoperative blood salvage

Blood salvage is used in surgeries for patients without cancer in which a large amount of blood loss is anticipated. The patient's own blood is collected, the blood may be washed or processed according to the particular procedure used, and returned to the patient. The washing method only returns red blood cells. The Hemobag^® is a type of autologous blood salvage that has the advantage of returning concentrated whole blood with the red blood cells as well as platelets, clotting factors and plasma proteins still present.

For information about options for patients requiring blood, see

• A Patient’s Guide to Blood Transfusion (California Department of Health Services, June 2006)