Promote blood transfusions as essential, life-saving treatments. Blood transfusions are medically necessary, routine treatments for patients with chronic health conditions, such as anemia, hematological disorders and cancer as well as for patients who experience blood loss due to trauma or surgical procedure. In addition, blood components must be immediately available in emergencies for resuscitation, traumas, massive hemorrhage protocols and other critical treatments, such as for burn victims. Depending on the reason that a patient needs a blood transfusion, the individual may receive a specific blood component, including red blood cells, platelets, plasma and/or cryoprecipitate. In the absence of a blood transfusion, patients may experience damage to body organs, injury, permanent handicap or death. AABB is committed to advancing policies that promote patients’ access to these vital therapies.
Support a sustainable blood system as a critical component of the healthcare system. Blood is an irreplaceable, essential public health resource. However, several existing trends and challenges threaten to disrupt the current U.S. blood system as it exists today, including: (1) reduced blood utilization due to changing medical practices, such as the implementation of patient blood management and the availability of new drugs and medical technologies; (2) an aging donor pool and changes in donor eligibility, which have resulted in the need to recruit different donors; and (3) consolidation throughout the health care system. Additionally, the blood sector faces mounting economic pressures from existing and emerging voluntary and mandatory safety measures, which
