[Results of blood transfusion in anemia of dairy cattle with references to serological tolerance].

Therapeutic use of blood transfusion as a life-saving step in cases of dairy cattle anaemia cannot be recommended unless serological tolerance is taken into due consideration. The results obtainable from cross-testing and biological testing are useless in avoiding transfusion problems caused by blood groups in situations of first transfusion. Suitable donors can be identified only by haemolysis and haemolysis inhibition tests. Preliminary selection of donors in advance is permissible for first transfusions. The most important antigens, which may correspond with normal agglutinins, must not be present in the blood patterns of selected donors. Blood transfusion without knowledge of serological tolerance and compatibility between donor and recipient may be justified in emergency situations, yet, together with desensitisation.