“When do you need a blood transfusion?”

Blood transfusion is given if your hemoglobin is less than 8 g/d (grams per deciliter). Blood transfusion is given for anemia, major surgical operation, accident resulting in significant loss, cancer patients, severe burns, patient with hereditary disorders such as hemophilia, and others. Thank you

Transfusion can be life saving for certain patients, however, there are many risks of blood transfusion and it should only be done when required. The physician and transfusion medicine director determine if it is needed by reviewing the patient’s medical history and the reason for transfusion because there are also risks for being transfused and sometimes patients have transfusion reactions that can be very dangerous. This is why patients are required to sign consent forms. If you are deficient, then your physician may be able to treat the deficiency and this would be safer than a transfusion. But if you are actually bleeding, then it may be necessary to receive a transfusion. Only you and your physician can best determine the course of action depending on the situation. We don’t usually use a specific hemoglobin level because it depends on if the anemia is chronic or acute. A chronic anemia gives the body time to adjust to the low hemoglobin level, but in acute anemia (example is acute bleeding in a trauma or operating room), the body has no time to adjust to the low hemoglobin level and transfusion may be needed because the patient becomes symptomatic from the lowered oxygen carrying capacity. The organs that use the most oxygen will be impacted by the low hemoglobin level and the patient will feel chest pain from cardiac ischemia if the hemoglobin becomes too low. I would ask for a referral to a hematologist as a consultant if you have questions not answered by your regular physician.

It depends on your symptoms, your health status, and your blood count numbers. If you are actively bleeding such as vomiting blood, having copious blood from your rectum or vagina AND you are symptomatic, pale, dizzy, want to faint, short of breath and your hemoglobin red blood cell count is less than 10 than usually the Dr and your emergency room medical team will transfuse blood. But again It depends on your symptoms and your overall health status.

Hgb less than 6

The current consensus is that you need a red blood cell transfusion when your hemoglobin count drops to 7 GM/dL or very close thereto.

Typically, a blood transfusion is warranted when there is concern that your organs may be affected by your degree of anemia. For most institutions, this threshold is approximately set at a hemoglobin of 7 or less or 8 or less if symptomatic. There are certain instances such as prior to surgery or in diseases such as sickle cell disease where this threshold may be higher or lower.

It depends on your hemoglobin number you are better to have your blood drawn and see a hematologist.

Jennifer Klein

Typically under a hemoglobin of 8. Hope this was helpful!

If you are having persistent symptoms such as severe fatigue or lightheadedness or dizziness, or if there are heart or lung issues causing shortness of breath or chest pain or low oxygen levels.