Transfusion medicine: How much blood should I give to correct the anemia? | VETgirl Veterinary CE Podcasts

Transfusion of packed red blood cells (pRBCs) is a common treatment for anemia. Transfusion to a normal PCV is unnecessary and may result in fluid overload due to the volume needed to return the PCV back to the normal range.  The goal of pRBC transfusion is to alleviate the clinical signs associated with anemia or decreased oxygen content (CaO2). The question is: how much blood do you have to give to achieve the “desired packed cell volume (PCV)?”  In this veterinary podcast, VetGirl will examine transfusion formulas to help you determine how much blood you need to give for these anemic patients.