A Preliminary Experience with Placental Umbilical Cord Whole Blood Transfusion As an Emergency Alternative of Adult Whole Blood Transfusion (Clinical Report‪)‬

Abstract 174 units or umbilical cord whole blood was collected aseptically from the umbilical vein after caesarean section in standard pediatric blood transfusion bags,* after the removal of the baby from the operative field and after confirming the stable condition of the mother. The volume of cord blood varied from 50ml. to 140ml. with mean 86ml (16ml SD. On the basis of our experience with 174 units of placental umbilical cord whole blood transfusion in malignant and non-malignant conditions (within three days of collection and preservation, at 1-60C, in a refrigerator), we are of the opinion that this is a safe transfusion protocol, which takes advantage of the safety of nature's finest biological sieve, i.e., the placenta, as an alternative to adult whole blood transfusion. It also has the advantage of a higher oxygen carrying capacity of fetal hemoglobin in addition to many growth factors and other cytokine filled cord blood plasma along with its hypoantigenicity.