Role of the blood bank in bone marrow transplantation.

The wide variety of special blood components, special procedures, increased red blood cell serologic testing, the complexity of ABO and Rh type changes, difficulty in selecting the correct ABO and Rh type of component, and necessity to irradiate all blood and components for these patients present a challenge to the internal operation of the blood bank. Although the blood transfusion supportive care required by bone marrow transplant patients is complex, it also opens many new and exciting possibilities for blood bank activities, and presents many opportunities to better understand the basic nature and clinical relevance of blood groups.