Recent advances in use of fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate, immunoglobulins and clotting factors for transfusion support in patients with hematologic disease

Abstract

Hematologic diseases include a broad range of acquired and congenital disorders, spanning dysfunction of the bone marrow, red blood cells, leukocytes and platelets. The plasma proteins of the coagulation system, the complement system as well as the immunoglobins can also be affected. Finally, hematologic diseases affect the vascular endothelium from which blood arises during embryogenesis, and with which blood constantly interacts. Unsurprisingly, a common component of treatment strategies for patients with hematologic disease involves replacement or enrichment of missing, dysfunctional or consumed constituents of blood through transfusion. This review will focus on the recent advances in the use of plasma and its derivatives, cryoprecipitate, immunoglobin preparations and individual clotting factors for patients with acquired and congenital hematologic disorders.