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Max Harry Weil, MD
Los Angeles

JAMA. 1970;213(12):2081.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

It is difficult for me to lend allegiance to the conclusions presented by the AMA Committee on Transfusion and Transplantation in the editorial published in THE JOURNAL (212:147, 1970). Specifically, transfusion of red blood cells (RBC) rather than whole blood would certainly provide additional safety in the case of a patient who has chronic anemia. The critical reduction in RBC mass is usually compensated for by an increase in plasma volume. Increases in cardiac output and in the speed of blood flow in the severely anemic patient increase the risk of "high output" heart failure. Transfusion of RBC would preclude additional volume loads and therefore minimize the risk of heart failure.

The same considerations do not apply to the patient who has had acute blood loss. Under this circumstance, total blood volume is reduced and the more critical issue to survival is intravascular volume rather than . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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