Table 2: Advantages and disadvantages of autologous blood transfusion
Advantages	Disadvantages
Reduces exposure to allogeneic blood Reduces risk of transmissible viral infections alloimmune hemolysis allergic reactions immunization to foreign antigens graft-versus-host disease transfusion-induced immunosuppression Averts exposure to new or unknown infectious or other noxious agents that might contaminate the blood supply Reduces demand for banked allogeneic blood, thus can help alleviate blood shortages Satisfies public demand and patients' desires that their own blood be used.	Blood loss must be anticipated and a program established to allow for blood predeposit or salvage Does not prevent adverse effects such as septicemia from bacterially contaminated unit nonhemolytic transfusion reactions caused by plasma factors generated during blood storage clerical or laboratory error leading to transfusion of the wrong unit circulatory overload Increased likelihood of receiving blood in the postoperative period Cost is higher than with existing allogeneic program Adds risk for adverse events associated with blood donation Scheduling of surgery may have to be altered to permit autologous blood donation or to avoid wasting blood already collected

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