title: How do I allocate blood products at the end of life? An ethical analysis with suggested guidelines.
abstract: Blood products are scarce resources requiring prudent and reasoned allocation. The utilization of red blood cells and platelets in terminally ill patients can be complicated and requires guidelines tempered by individualized considerations. Representative cases are discussed in which blood products are requested or utilized by patients at the end of life. Relevant literature is reviewed and ethical issues pertaining to each case are discussed. A practical approach to blood product utilization at the end of life is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. lbsmith@umich.edu
authors.forename: Lauren B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cooling
authors.forename: Robertson
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davenport
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016913:Blood Component Transfusion / Q000941:ethics* / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000556:secondary; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000941:ethics* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000628:therapy; D018447:Medical Futility / Q000941:ethics; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000941:ethics* / Q000379:methods; D057240:Patient Preference; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000941:ethics* / Q000379:methods; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy