Clinical aspects of blood transfusion in cats

Abstract

The safe use of transfusion therapy requires proper knowledge on blood groups, blood typing, donor selection, blood collection, transfusion protocols and adverse transfusion reactions. Type B cats have high titres of naturally occurring anti-A isoagglutinins and type A cats have generally low titred anti-B isoagglutinins in their plasma. The severity of incompatibility reactions in blood transfusion is proportional to the alloantibody titres of the recipient blood. Transfusion of type B blood to type A cats may develop a mild transfusion reactions. In contrast, administration of type A blood to type B cats can cause potentially fatal acute hemolytic transfusion reactions. Adverse transfusion reactions can be avoided by typing donor and recipient cats before transfusion and by administering only matched blood. Due to improvement in feline blood typing, collecting and administration procedures, there has been a notable increase in the blood transfusion therapy in these animals. Present paper reviews current understanding of the pactical aspects of transfusion therapy in cats.