The complex chain of chemical events that produces a plug (clot) at the site of bleeding. It is important for a patient undergoing transfusion-free surgery to have good clotting ability, in order to reduce bleeding/blood loss. Certain medications may interfere with clotting, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; anticoagulants (such as Coumadin); vitamin E; and herbal preparations containing garlic or ginkgo biloba.Chemicals that circulate in the blood and interact together to help cause blood clotting at the site of an injury.A scope that can be used to visualize the inside of the body, either through insertion into a tiny incision or by passing the scope through a body opening (such as the mouth or anus). Endoscopy is used to examine, biopsy, or surgically treat a variety of conditions. Types of endoscopy include arthroscopy (joints); bronchoscopy (bronchial tubes, lungs); colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy (large intestine); colposcopy (vagina, cervix); gastroscopy (stomach, small intestine); laparoscopy (abdomen); and others. Endoscopy is considered a "minimally invasive" procedure, which results in reduced bleeding. It is therefore a valuable bloodless medicine technique.A surgical tool that uses ultrasound waves to cut tissue and seal bleeding vessels at the same time -- a helpful characteristic in transfusion-free surgery, because it helps keep blood loss to a minimum.A chemical within red blood cells that allows oxygen to be carried throughout the body.Heavy bleeding.A surgical technique in which a lighted scope is inserted into a tiny incision in the abdomen. Laparoscopy can be used to visualize the inside of the abdomen for diagnosis, to retrieve tissue samples for biopsy, and to perform surgery using tiny instruments that are also passed into the abdomen through tiny "keyhole" incisions. Laparoscopy is considered a "minimally invasive" procedure, which results in reduced bleeding and may therefore be valuable for bloodless treatment of some conditions.Procedures that use small surgical cuts and holes, or no cuts at all. These methods can greatly reduce the amount of bleeding and are therefore of great importance to bloodless medicine. An example is endoscopy, which uses scopes inserted into small cuts or body openings. Another example is lithotripsy, which uses sound waves to break up a kidney or other stone into smaller bits, allowing it to pass out of the urinary system without having created any incision at all.A device that monitors the amount of oxygen carried by the hemoglobin in red blood cells. In bloodless medicine, any blood a patient loses is not replaced by transfusion, so it is extremely important to monitor how much oxygen the patient's body is receiving from the remaining blood.The fluid component of blood, in which the various types of blood cells are suspended. Jehovah's Witnesses consider plasma to be a major blood fraction and do not consider it to be an acceptable part of treatment.A type of apheresis that is used to separate plasma from blood. Blood is removed from a donor, the plasma is harvested and retained, and the donor's blood cells are returned to him or her. Plasmapheresis may also be performed on a patient's own blood as a treatment for certain conditions.A component of blood responsible for blood clotting at the point of an injury to a blood vessel. Without platelets, our blood would not be able to clot and hemorrhaging or uncontrolled bleeding would result. Platelets are considered a major blood fraction and are not acceptable to Jehovah's Witnesses as part of any treatment.A test in which the individual's own red blood cells are harvested, tagged with radioactive material, and then returned to the individual. Imaging scans are then performed that will highlight areas of bleeding, because the tagged red blood cells will be seen leaking from these areas.The delivery of blood products to an individual to replace blood that is lost during surgery or from injury. The blood or blood products are usually donated anonymously or through blood banking, then stored until the time they are needed. At that point, the blood products are administered through an intravenous (IV) line into a patient's vein. A blood transfusion is what bloodless medicine seeks to avoid.

Review Date: 6/8/2009

Reviewed By: Frank A. Greco, MD, PhD, Director, Biophysical Laboratory, The Lahey Clinic, Burlington, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.