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Making sense of blood transfusions.

Getting blood transfusions is a common treatment option for sickle cell disease (SCD). Blood transfusions have two main purposes – to treat complications of SCD and to help prevent them.

You have small blood vessels throughout your whole body. In SCD, sickle-shaped red blood cells (RBCs) don’t flow easily through the small blood vessels. These blood vessels can get clogged or blocked. This means less oxygen can get to those parts of your body – and that can cause pain and damage. Having more sickle-shaped RBCs raises your risk of having problems.

Blood transfusions give you healthy, round RBCs from a blood donor. These healthy RBCs carry oxygen better than sickled cells do. This helps treat anemia. It also reduces your risk for having complications like a stroke, acute chest syndrome and pain that can happen with SCD. 

There are two main ways to receive blood:

  • Simple transfusion is when you get RBCs from donor blood. None of your blood is taken out.
  • Exchange transfusion is when your blood cells are removed and are replaced with the same amount of blood from a healthy donor.

Some patients receive transfusions on a regular basis for years to help prevent problems. Others may need them to treat an emergency like a stroke, acute chest syndrome or a pain crisis. Your doctor may order transfusions if you’re on hydroxyurea and your symptoms don’t get better, or you have significant side effects from it.

A common goal is to decrease the number of sickled cells in your body to less than 30%.1 Another goal may be to keep your blood hemoglobin (Hgb) to about 9 g/dL or higher.1

Blood transfusions come with certain risks, such as:

  • Alloimmunization (your immune system attacks the transfused donor cells)
  • Fluid overload
  • Iron overload (too much iron in your blood)
  • Transfusion reaction

Talk to your doctor to learn more about blood transfusions and if they may help you.

Your CVS Specialty® CareTeam is also here to help. Reach out to your CareTeam to learn about other common SCD treatment options.

  1. DeBaun MR, Jordon LC, King AA, Schatz J, Vichinsky E, Fox CK, McKinstry RC, et. al. American Society of Hematology 2020 guidelines for sickle cell disease: prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cerebrovascular disease in children and adults. Blood Adv. 2020;4(8):1554-1588. Doi:10.1182/bloodadvances.2019001142.

This information is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Talk to your doctor or health care provider about your medical condition and prior to starting any new treatment. CVS Specialty assumes no liability whatsoever for the information provided or for any diagnosis or treatment made as a result.