Blood Transfusion Question?

[Mefoster]

My husband had to have 2 units of blood on Wednesday. I have a question to ask if anyone has some input. If my husband needed 2 units of blood then where did that blood go to? I asked several people at the cancer center and at the hospital and all just say a side effect of chemo. So where did the lost blood go to? I hope this doesn't sound stupid. - Thanks

[raneyf]

I believe your blood cells will die naturally after a certain amount of days. Not exactly sure how your body disposes of dead blood cells - maybe reabsorption or something, there's a mechanism. The problem is his bone marrow that makes the replacements for the dead cells isn't keeping up with making new ones. This is the side effect from the chemo that they're talking about. I'm not an expert for sure, but this is my understanding. Hope it makes sense.

[blueeye]

Yep, that's right. His bone marrow is not making new red blood cells. Old RBCs are taken out by macrophages--a type of WBC and also by the spleen.

[RandyW]

The individual causes of anemia are numerous, but most can be grouped within three major mechanisms that produce anemia: blood loss (excessive bleeding), inadequate production of red blood cells, or excessive destruction of red blood cells.

Anemia may be caused by excessive bleeding. Bleeding may be sudden, as may occur in an accident or during surgery. Often, bleeding is gradual and repetitive, typically from abnormalities in the digestive or urinary tract. Chronic bleeding typically leads to low levels of iron, which leads to worsening anemia.

Anemia may also result when the body does not produce enough red blood cells. Many nutrients are needed for red blood cell production. The most critical are iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid, but the body also needs trace amounts of vitamin C, riboflavin, and copper, as well as a proper balance of hormones, especially erythropoietinSome Trade Names

EPOGEN

PROCRIT

(a hormone that stimulates red blood cell production). Without these nutrients and hormones, production of red blood cells is slow and inadequate, or the red blood cells may be deformed and unable to carry oxygen adequately. Chronic disease also may affect red blood cell production. In some circumstances, the bone marrow space may be invaded and replaced (for example, by leukemia, lymphoma, or metastatic cancer), and this results in decreased production of red blood cells.

Anemia may also result when too many red blood cells are destroyed. Normally, red blood cells live about 120 days; scavenger cells in the bone marrow, spleen, and liver detect and destroy red blood cells that are near or beyond their usual life span. If red blood cells are destroyed prematurely (hemolysis), the bone marrow tries to compensate by producing new cells faster. When destruction of red blood cells exceeds their production, hemolytic anemia results. Hemolytic anemia is relatively uncommon compared with the anemia caused by excessive bleeding and decreased red blood cell production.