Blood transfusion is considered a life-saving therapy since ancient times, but, at the same time, a high-risk procedure. Nowadays the common perception is that infection is the greatest risk, even if the blood has never been safer from this point of view. Currently, the residual risk of transfusion must be related mainly to immunological mechanisms underlying to AB0 and minor blood systems, to compatibility of blood transfused and to development of irregular antibodies in transfused patients.

"Transfusion Medicine and Patient Safety" aims to provide the basic of immunohematology to...