The role of the blood bank in transplantation.

Blood transfusion supportive care is essential to successful organ, tissue, and bone marrow transplantation, thus making the blood bank an integral part of these programs. The impact of clinical transplantation on the blood bank can be considered in the following categories: (1) use of blood and blood components for transfusion support; (2) special blood component needs; (3) red blood cell serologic needs; (4) collection, processing, and preservation of bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cells; (5) hemotherapy for bone marrow donors, (6) recruitment of bone marrow donors; and (7) the special procedures that must be available for managing patients undergoing transplantation therapy.