transfusion

American  

[trans-fyoo-zhuhn] / trænsˈfju ʒən /

noun

• transfusions
  plural

1. the act or process of transfusing.

2. Medicine/Medical. the direct transferring of blood, plasma, or the like into a blood vessel.

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transfusion British  

/ trænsˈfjuːʒən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of transfusing

2. the injection of blood, blood plasma, etc, into the blood vessels of a patient

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transfusion Scientific  

/ trăns-fyo̅o̅′zhən /

1. The transfer of blood or a component of blood, such as red blood cells, plasma, or platelets, from one person to another to replace losses caused by injury, surgery, or disease. Donated blood products are tested for blood type and certain infectious diseases and stored in blood banks until they are used. The blood of the donor is shown to be histologically compatible, or crossmatched, with that of the recipient before transfusion.

2. See more at Rh factor See Note at blood type

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• transfusions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of transfusion

1570–80; < Latin trānsfūsiōn- (stem of trānsfūsiō ) decanting, intermingling, equivalent to trānsfūs ( us ) ( see transfuse) + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

A transfusion is when doctors put blood into a patient's vein. An accident victim might need a transfusion if he's lost blood. Besides accidents, there are other medical conditions that require blood transfusions, such as heart disease and some kinds of surgery. The blood a patient receives during a transfusion usually comes from donations given by healthy people. You can use the noun transfusion for any transfer of liquid, like the pouring of lemonade from a glass pitcher to a plastic one, though it's most often used to describe the medical procedure.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

transfusion transfusions

Tests revealed she had anemia, so she received a blood transfusion from another eagle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

The elder Modrzejewski was critically injured in the incident and received an emergency blood transfusion from Pasadena Fire Department paramedics, an action that “probably saved his life,” according to city spokesperson Lisa Derderian.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

In some circumstances, that can trigger a potentially serious transfusion reaction.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

The new technology means children can avoid longer and more invasive operations, and it should see a reduction in blood transfusion rates, experts say.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

His hand was shaking a little, vibrating as if he were giving Djo a transfusion of energy.

From "Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti" by Frances Temple

For most transfusions, ABO and Rh compatibility receive the most attention.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

She suffered a traumatic brain injury and a broken elbow and needed three blood transfusions and skin grafts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

That is because of an increased number of car accidents and more people spending time outdoors, resulting in more injuries that require blood transfusions, Lawrence said.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

He spent nine days on a ventilator and 18 days on dialysis, during which time doctors gave him blood, platelet and plasma transfusions.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

Eventually Dr. Isaacson gave her three transfusions of whole blood to replace what she lost in nosebleeds.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

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