Thibeault Susan
Department of Anesthesiology, Yale-New Haven Hospital, 20 York Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am. 2015 Mar;27(1):47-53. doi: 10.1016/j.cnc.2014.10.008. Epub 2014 Dec 5.
Massive transfusion is defined as complete replacement of a patient's blood volume or approximately 10 units of packed red blood cells within a 24-hour period or one red blood cells volume in 24 hours for a pediatric patient. This article reviews the most recent understanding and recommendations in massive transfusion along with the unintended consequences in the management of patients with profound hemorrhage.