| Summary: | Studies suggest that while PABD decreases, it does not totally eliminate the need for allogeneic transfusion for elective surgery. However, it does greatly increase the likelihood of any transfusion and is not entirely without medical risks. Medical risks associated with autologous donation, from dizziness to anemia to the possibility of angina (and even cardiac arrest), should be considered when high-risk patients are referred for preoperative autologous collection. It is possible that the wrong blood, either allogeneic blood or another patient's autologous blood, may be given to the PABD donor or another patient. Only about two-thirds of all autologous blood units collected are actually used, and the cost per life-year-saved is higher than the benchmark cost for most medical and surgical interventions. As the safety of the American blood supply continues to improve, the possible clinical benefit of autologous blood donation becomes diminished
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