Safety of blood transfusion: risks and use of predonation, the Canadian experience.

A variety of measures has been introduced in Canada to improve the safety of the blood supply. An autologous blood transfusion pilot study in British Columbia indicated that this form of transfusion is well tolerated and accepted in low-risk patients undergoing elective breast reconstructive surgery. While the use of autologous blood in Canada is not common at present, with broad donor criteria and increased concern about the hazards of homologous blood transfusion autologous transfusion is likely to increase in Canada in the future.