Transfusion of Human Corpse Blood Without Additives

Abstract

Human corpse blood drawn and stored without the use of ACD solution or other additives and taken within a six‐hour postmortem period from victims of relatively sudden unexpected death is suitable for transfusion into anemic patients. In most cases of sudden death the blood undergoes a peculiar type of fibrinolysis which obviates the need for anticoagulant solutions. Three clinical cases of such transfusion are reported, the first done and recorded in the U. S. There was no trace of difficulty during and after transfusion in any case. The hematologic response was excellent. There was no discernible alteration of clotting mechanisms or red cell fragility in recipients. One patient underwent major surgery immediately after receiving massive amounts of corpse packed cells on two separate occasions; surgery and recovery were entirely uneventful. The results of electrolyte and hematologic studies of untreated blood taken from ten corpses are also reported and demonstrate no appreciable difference from those of routine live‐donor blood. The significance and implications of this work are discussed briefly.