advantages of using blood components?

Answer 1

When blood is collected you have a unit of whole blood--if some one uses the unit, then 1 person benefits from 1 donation and they may get several things they do not necessarily need.

To make componets: the whole blood is divided into 1) packed cells (red); 2) platelets; 3) plasma. Now THREE people can benefit from 1 donation and they do not get an extra component that they do not need and may have a reaction to. Some one who just needs red cells just gets red cells, some one who has a bleeding disorder just gets the platelets and not the extra plasma fluid or the red cells that they do not need.

So advantages are: better use of resource; better target of specific need to patient; minimize reactions to parts in blood not needed; also longer storage (plasma can be frozen 1 year)

Answer 2

I suppose you mean that in contrast with whole blood.
Anything in medicine that can do good can also do harm. Headache remedies cause bleeding ulcers. Cold remedies cause strokes. Blood has multiple components, and each of them has a fairly substantial risk of doing harm. It only makes sense to use what's needed and avoid what isn't.
In World War II, plasma was used as the preferred volume expander until the wounded could get back to the hospitals for surgery and transfusion. It worked, but a huge number of soldiers got hepatitis. By mid-war, they were using crystalloids for volume expansion, and a lot of livers were saved by the switch. As the ability to separate and refine the various components has improved, so have outcomes.

Answer 3

Kelly, your question is a bit vague, however, blood components can be very useful to promote clotting during surgical procedures, reduce the effects of anemia in oncology patients, and many other uses. They are not used without discretion, and hospitals and medical institutions have distinct protocols for the use of blood products. If you'd care to ellaborate, I'll respond.

Answer 4

decreases the possibility of circulatory overload, while giving the patient only those blood components actually needed. the conservative approach is always the best.