The key difference between blood transfusion and dialysis is that blood transfusion is a medical procedure in which donated blood is provided to a patient through a narrow tube placed within a vein in the arm, while dialysis is a medical procedure to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood through a machine when the kidneys are not working properly.
Blood transfusion and dialysis are two routinely performed medical procedures that are used to treat critical patients, such as those who suffer from reduced kidney function.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Blood Transfusion
3. What is Dialysis
4. Similarities – Blood Transfusion and Dialysis
5. Blood Transfusion and Dialysis in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Blood Transfusion vs Dialysis
What is a Blood Transfusion?
Blood transfusion is a medical procedure in which donated blood is provided to a patient through a narrow tube placed within a vein in the arm. This is a potentially life-saving procedure that can help to replace blood lost due to surgery or injury. A blood transfusion can also help if an illness prevents the human body from making blood or some components of the blood.
Figure 01: Blood Transfusion
A transfusion provides a part or parts of the blood patients need. Red blood cells are the most commonly transfused component in the blood. Sometimes, people can also receive whole blood, which contains all the parts (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma). But whole blood transfusions are not common. Blood transfusions are normally considered safe. However, there is some risk of complications. Mild complications include allergic reactions, itching, and fever. Furthermore, the severe ones include infections, acute immune haemolytic reaction, delayed haemolytic reaction, and graft-versus-host disease.
What is Dialysis?
Dialysis is a medical procedure for individuals whose kidneys are failing. It is used to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood through a machine when the kidneys have stopped working properly. People who have kidney failure or end-stage renal disease may need dialysis. Injuries and conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and lupus can damage kidneys, which leads to kidney disease.
Figure 02: Dialysis
There are two types of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. In hemodialysis, a machine removes blood from the body, filters it through a dialyzer, and returns the cleaned blood to the human body. On the other hand, in peritoneal dialysis, the tiny vessels inside the abdominal lining (peritoneum) filter the blood through the aid of a dialysis solution. The possible complications involved in dialysis include peritonitis, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, hernia, and weight gain.
What are the Similarities Between Blood Transfusion and Dialysis?
- Blood transfusion and dialysis are two routinely performed medical procedures used to treat critical patients, such as those who suffer from reduced kidney function.
- Both medical procedures are life-saving procedures for critical patients.
- These medical procedures can be associated with complications.
- They are costly medical procedures.
What is the Difference Between Blood Transfusion and Dialysis?
Blood transfusion is a medical procedure in which donated blood is provided to a patient through a narrow tube placed within a vein in the arm, while dialysis is a medical procedure to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood through a machine when the kidneys stop working properly. This is the key difference between blood transfusion and dialysis. Furthermore, blood transfusion is performed for patients undergoing surgery, face injury, and suffer from critical diseases like kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, dialysis is mainly performed for patients who suffer from kidney failure or end-stage renal disease.
The following table summarizes the difference between blood transfusion and dialysis.
Summary – Blood Transfusion vs Dialysis
Blood transfusion and dialysis are two routinely performed medical procedures. In blood transfusion, donated blood is provided to a patient through a narrow tube placed within a vein in the arm. Dialysis removes waste products and excess fluid from the blood through a machine in patients that have kidneys that are not working properly. This is the key difference between blood transfusion and dialysis.
Reference:
1. “Blood Transfusion.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 27 Apr. 2022.
2. Miller, Kelli. “Dialysis (Hemodialysis): Purpose, Procedure, and Complications.” WebMD.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Blood transfusion B” By Own work – Own work (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Blausen 0313 Dialysis” By Blausen.com staff (2014). Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014: WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia