Current trends in blood component therapy: the evolution of a safer, more effective product.

Current trends in blood component therapy have focused on providing the safest, most effective means for transfusion therapy. During the last decade a reassessment of the indications for transfusion of the various blood components has occurred, mainly because of the increased awareness of the risks associated with the administration of blood components such as disease transmission and alloimmunization. Concerns regarding the risks inherent in blood transfusions have stimulated advances in technologies to prepare and deliver blood components along with the development of alternative pharmacologic approaches to the actual administration of blood products.