Glossary of Blood-related Terms

1. Allogeneic
   Blood from someone else that matches yours, usually from a volunteer blood donor. Also referred to as homologous blood.
2. Alloimmunization
   The process of making an antibody against a foreign antigen.
3. Antibody
   Proteins that react with antigens on red blood cells and may destroy transfused red blood cells.
4. Anticoagulant
   A substance that prevents the clotting or thickening of blood.
5. Antigen
   A substance on the surface of red blood cells that elicits an immune response when transfused into a patient who lacks that antigen.
6. Apheresis
   A procedure where whole blood is removed from the body and a desired component is retained, while the remainder of the blood is returned to the donor.
7. Aplastic Anemia
   An anemia caused by deficient red blood cell production by the bone marrow.
8. Autoimmune
   The process of making antibodies against one’s self (one’s intrinsic antigens).
9. Blood type
   Everyone’s blood falls into one of four groups, or types: A, B, AB or O. The type depends on the presence or absence of certain substances on red blood cells. Blood types are inherited.
10. Bone marrow
    The soft tissue located in the cavities of bones which is responsible for blood cell and platelet production.
11. Component
    A "part" of blood. Blood is made up of different "parts" or components: red blood cells, plasma, platelets and several types of white blood cells. Each component has its own job to do. We can separate blood into components so patients can be transfused only with what they need.
12. Cross match
    To find similarities between a patient’s blood and a donor’s blood using laboratory tests.
13. Dilutional coagulopathy
    Usually seen in patients with trauma after receiving multiple red blood transfusions. The transfusions dilute the body’s own platelets and coagulation factors, which may predispose to bleeding. These individuals may require platelet and plasma transfusions.
14. Donate / donation
    To give blood. A blood donation is a little less than one pint. Specific components can also be donated.
15. Engraftment
    The process by which transplanted or transfused cells (for example, after a bone marrow transplant) begin to grow and reproduce themselves within the recipient.
16. Erythrocytapheresis
    An apheresis procedure where red blood cells are collected.
17. Extracorporeal
    Blood circulation occurring outside of the body, for example, in an apheresis machine during donation.
18. Factor XIII
    A clotting factor that stabilizes blood clots.
19. Factor VIII-Rich Cryoprecipitate
    Contains the clotting factor used to control bleeding in hemophiliacs.
20. Fibrinogen
    A protein involved in coagulation. Fibrinogen reacts with other molecules to produce blood clots.
21. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
    A reaction where transplanted or transfused cells attack the recipient’s own cells.
22. Granulocytes
    A type of white blood cell that attacks and destroys foreign substances.
23. Hematocrit
    A measure of the amount of red blood cells in your body.
24. Hematologic
    Of the blood.
25. Hematologist
    A blood specialist.
26. Hematopoiesis
    The formation of and development of blood cells.
27. Hemoglobin
    The molecule in the red blood cell that carries oxygen. Hemoglobin combines with oxygen in the lungs and releases it in the tissues. It is what makes blood red.
28. Hemostasis
    The process of clotting.
29. Human serum albumin
    A plasma protein that aids the body in maintaining blood pressure.
30. Hypoxemia
    Low oxygen levels in the blood.
31. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
    An autoimmune disease where the body makes antibodies against its own platelets.
32. Immunoglobin alpha (IgA)
    A type of immunoglobulin present in blood and body secretions which may aid in fighting infections.
33. Immunosuppressed
    A condition brought about by disease or chemotherapy where the individual is highly susceptible to infection.
34. Irradiated red blood cells
    Red blood cells treated with radiation to inactivate white blood cells which may cause graft-versus-host disease.
35. Leukocyte
    Another term for a white blood cell.
36. Leukocyte-reduced blood components
    Prevent transfusions reactions caused by white cells contaminating red cell and platelet preparations and may reduce the likelihood of certain infections.
37. Leukoreduced
    Removal of white blood cells from products in order to prevent certain transfusion reactions such as fever, chills, and alloimmunization.
38. Lymphocytes
    A leukocyte that directs the formation of antibodies, and that has memory.
39. Nonhemolytic
    Refers to transfusion reactions where the red blood cell is not destroyed.
40. Perioperative Autologous Transfusions (PAT)
    The recovery, washing and reinfusion of a patient’s own blood, which has been lost, during and after surgery in order to reduce the need for transfusions.
41. Peripheral stem cell collection and processing
    The removal, separation and freezing of peripheral blood or marrow, which contain stem cells, for later reinfusion to restore a patient’s blood manufacturing capability after radiation or chemotherapy.
42. Plasma - Plasma is 92% water, 7% protein and 1% minerals. Plasma is the source of gamma globulin, albumin and clotting factors. Plasma is used to treat clotting disorders, burn victims and shock.
43. Plateletpheresis
    An apheresis procedure where platelets are collected.
44. Platelets
    Colorless cells whose main function is to control bleeding. Platelets are essential to normal blood clotting. They can be wiped out during treatment for cancer, leukemia, aplastic anemia and other diseases.
45. Red Cells
    Red cells transport oxygen to body cells and remove carbon dioxide. Red cells contain iron in the hemoglobin.
46. Rh
    The Rh factor is an inherited blood group on red blood cells like the ABO blood types. About 85% of the people in this country have it. Those who have it are "Rh-positive," those who don’t are "Rh-negative."
47. Sickle cell disease
    A disease in which the affected person makes an abnormal hemoglobin. Sickle cell disease is inherited.
48. Therapeutic apheresis
    Enables hospitals to separate certain blood components from a patient and either replace or treat them before reinfusion.
49. Transfusion
    Replacing blood or blood components a body has lost in surgery, through an accident, or as a result of medical treatment such as chemotherapy.
50. Thrombocytopenia
    A low platelet count.
51. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)
    A disease state in which red blood cells and platelets are destroyed and the body produces excessive blood clots which may damage the kidneys and nervous system.
52. White Cells (Leukocytes)
    The protective cells in the bloodstream. They attack bacteria by squeezing through capillary walls to reach the area of infection.