A 36-year-old member asked:
Will my daughter with polycythemia require blood transfusions?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Andrew Nordineanswered
Pediatrics 22 years experience
Perhaps: For most newborns, polycythemia (increased red cells in the blood) is transient and asymptomatic and requires no treatment. Rarely, it is severe and causes symptoms. In such cases, an exchange transfusion (drawing off blood and replacing it with transfused red blood cells) can actually lower the number of red cells in the blood, relieve symptoms, and perhaps even prevent serious injury.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Cristina Carballoanswered
Neonatology 41 years experience
No: Polycythemia means there are to many blood cells. She may need a reverse exchange transfusion, where Normal Saline is given in the same amount blood is removed.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
1 comment
Dr. Juan Merayo-Rodriguez commented
Pathology 25 years experience
There are several causes for polycythemia, including primary and secondary. In the secondary causes include, smoking, dehydration, COPD, cardiac disease, kidney tumors, androgenic steroid therapies, renal artery stenosis, etc. In any case one of the therapies used is Therapeutic Phlebotomy in which the patient gets a prescription from the doctor and the phlebotomist draws one unit of blood to decrease the amount of red cells the patient has and will repeat the therapy as indicated by physician at different intervals until patient is stable or the cause is treated.
Dec 15, 2012
Last updated Jun 30, 2014
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