Risks, options, and informed consent for blood transfusion in elective surgery.

Blood banking is undergoing a period of significant change as a result of several concurrent issues. Blood-transmitted diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the alternatives to community-derived (homologous) blood such as autologous (patient's own) and designated (blood donor known to transfusion recipient) blood have had an impact on surgical transfusion practice. Many of these issues comprise the medicolegal elements of informed consent for elective blood transfusion, so that increasingly the need for a dialogue incorporating these issues between the transfusing physician and the potential transfusion recipient is recognized. If the process is to be effective, then early involvement of the patient in a dialogue concerning informed consent is necessary. An overview of the medical elements and content of informed consent for elective blood transfusion is presented.