Crystalloids = speed Colloids = staying power Blood = survival You cannot hydrate your way out of anaemia. You cannot “volume expand” your way out of coagulopathy. You need blood when the body needs oxygen, clotting, and long-term support.

Cancer is not just a disease. It is exhaustion—in the body, in the family, in the healthcare system, and silently, in the blood bank that supports every treatment step. People often focus only on chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or immunotherapy. But behind the scenes, blood transfusion holds up the entire treatment.

Apheresis = Specialized donation where only platelets/plasma are collected. RDP = Pooled platelets from multiple donors. SDP = Platelets from one donor via apheresis. SDP is safer and cleaner, but costs more. RDP is quicker and cheaper, but carries higher exposure risk. Both save lives — the right choice depends on the patient’s condition, not myths.

Most people think: 👉 “O negative blood can be given to anyone.” Sounds simple. Feels heroic. But here’s the truth — it’s not that simple. I’ve seen it firsthand in the blood centre. We call O negative the “universal donor” blood because it lacks A, B, and Rh antigens — the main flags our immune system looks for. So when a patient’s blood group is unknown, especially in emergencies, we grab O negative. It saves lives.