Blood Transfusion in Spanish

What it means

A blood transfusion is a safe and common procedure during which a person receives blood through an intravenous (IV) line placed in a vein. The person receives whole blood or parts of blood, such as red blood cells, which carry oxygen to and from tissues and organs; platelets, which form clots to control bleeding; or plasma, the liquid part of the blood that helps clotting. It takes 1 to 4 hours to receive the blood, depending on how much is needed. Reasons for a transfusion include major surgery that results in blood loss, a serious injury that causes a lot of bleeding, and a body that cannot make enough blood. Blood banks carefully screen donated blood, and it is sometimes possible to have a transfusion of your own blood.

Spanish term: Transfusión de sangre
Gender and article: feminine: la transfusión de sangre (plural: las transfusiones de sangre)
Pronunciation: trahns-foo-SYOHN deh SAHN-greh

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
transfusión sanguínea	General	Another name the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary gives for the same procedure.
hemotransfusión	General	Another name the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary gives for the same procedure.
trasfusión	General	Spelling without the first n, which the Spanish dictionary records alongside transfusión.

Transfusión de sangre is the form the Spanish dictionary enters as an expression of its own under transfusión, marked as a feminine noun: la transfusión, una transfusión de sangre. The same dictionary records the spelling trasfusión, without the first n, and defines the plain noun as the action and effect of the verb transfundir. The National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary, which also enters the term as transfusión de sangre, says the procedure is also called hemotransfusión, transfusión and transfusión sanguínea.

MedlinePlus en español titles its page Transfusión y donación de sangre and writes transfusiones sanguíneas in its introduction. Words it uses with the term are sangre completa (whole blood), glóbulos rojos (red blood cells), plaquetas (platelets), plasma, sangre donada (donated blood) and bancos de sangre (blood banks). The verb in its text is recibir: a person receives a transfusion, recibe una transfusión.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Clinician	Your hemoglobin is low, so I am recommending a blood transfusion.	Su hemoglobina está baja, así que le recomiendo una transfusión de sangre.
Patient	How long does the transfusion take?	¿Cuánto tiempo dura la transfusión?
Clinician	It takes between one and four hours, depending on how much blood you need.	Dura entre una y cuatro horas, según la cantidad de sangre que necesite.
Patient	Is donated blood tested for infections?	¿Se analiza la sangre donada para detectar infecciones?
Clinician	Have you ever had a reaction to a blood transfusion?	¿Ha tenido alguna vez una reacción a una transfusión de sangre?
Patient	Can I use my own blood for the surgery?	¿Puedo usar mi propia sangre para la cirugía?
Clinician	The nursing staff will place an IV line in your arm.	El personal de enfermería le colocará una vía intravenosa en el brazo.
Patient	I have chills and itching. Is that normal during the transfusion?	Tengo escalofríos y picazón. ¿Es normal durante la transfusión?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Blood Transfusion
Spanish (Español)	Transfusión de sangre
Chinese (中文)	輸血
Korean (한국어)	수혈
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Truyền máu
Filipino (Tagalog)	Blood transfusion
Portuguese (Português)	Transfusão de sangue
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	การให้เลือด
Japanese (日本語)	輸血

Where you'll see it

chartEOBbilldischarge summaryoperative report

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Blood and immune system

All terms in this area: Blood and immune system — Sangre y sistema inmunitario

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.