Unexpected, emergency blood transfusions are rarely required. It is needed only in situations of massive hemorrhage, like severe trauma, gynecological and obstetric emergency, or gastrointestinal bleeding.
In many cases, non-blood-containing fluids can be substituted for replacement of lost blood assuming the blood loss has stopped.
Even in developed countries blood transfusion is not risk-free.
The international shipment of blood for transfusion is practical only when handled by agreement between two responsible organizations, such as national blood transfusion services. This mechanism s not useful for emergency needs of individual patients.
