why can’t people with anemia (not enough iron in blood) get blood transfers from donors who have hemochromatosis (too much iron in blood)?
In: Biology
They can, but indirectly.
You may have heard of ABO blood group. That’s just one (and the most significant) of the antigens possible. There are over 700. Every time someone gets a transfusion in a non-emergent setting, the recipient blood is checked against the donor blood.
Anemia isn’t just a lack of iron in the blood – iron-deficiency anemia is just one of many causes. Transfusion of blood to someone with anemia NOT due to iron deficiency can actually lead to iatrogenic (i.e. caused by the healthcare system) iron overload. This is commonly seen in patients with anemia due to thalessemia. In addition, as others have said, even if the recipient is anemic due to iron deficiency, the underlying cause should be treated or else it is a futile exercise.
Every blood transfusion is also associated with significant risk. See [pages 42-44 of this guide.](http://policyandorders.cw.bc.ca/resource-gallery/Documents/Transfusion%20Medicine/Bloody%20Easy%204.pdf)
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