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Granulocyte transfusion
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<p>A granulocyte transfusion is a medical procedure in which <a href="/facts/Granulocyte/zsE3ldLb">granulocytes</a> are infused into a person's blood. Granulocytes are a category of <a href="/facts/White_blood_cell/vsDunUK0">white blood cell</a> that includes <a href="/facts/Neutrophil/KL6oTt8b">neutrophils</a>, <a href="/facts/Eosinophil/yhIKA8bE">eosinophils</a>, and <a href="/facts/Basophil/FRN1ugHk">basophils</a>.: 99 Granulocyte transfusions were historically used to prevent and treat infections in people with <a href="/facts/Neutropenia/qasEurVu">neutropenia</a> (an abnormally low level of <a href="/facts/Neutrophils/KL6oTt8b">neutrophils</a>), but the practice declined in popularity in the 1980s. Interest in the procedure increased in the 1990s due to the development of more effective methods for harvesting granulocytes and a growing population of people with severe neutropenia from <a href="/facts/Chemotherapy/fWTLbaUT">chemotherapy</a>. However, the treatment's efficacy remains poorly understood and its use is controversial. </p><p>Granulocytes are most often collected through <a href="/facts/Leukapheresis/tThcAdjw">leukapheresis</a>, a process that separates the donor's white blood cells from their <a href="/facts/Red_blood_cell/Kggpq8Jh">red blood cells</a> and <a href="/facts/Blood_plasma/oHuwwugG">plasma</a>. Donors may be given <a href="/facts/Corticosteroid/jeL2QeIL">corticosteroids</a> or <a href="/facts/Granulocyte_colony-stimulating_factor/aPbo9muU">granulocyte colony-stimulating factor</a> to increase their granulocyte count prior to the blood collection. Granulocytes have a short shelf life and it is recommended that they are transfused within hours of collection. Adverse effects from granulocyte transfusions include <a href="/facts/Fever/waVxR2Ac">fever</a>, <a href="/facts/Chills/lqjTeJ1H">chills</a>, <a href="/facts/Respiratory/IG8v5JEr">respiratory</a> symptoms, <a href="/facts/Transfusion-transmitted_infection/hE9qXgq3">transfusion-transmitted infections</a>, and the development of <a href="/facts/Antibodies/MX8pdTdP">antibodies</a> against <a href="/facts/Human_leukocyte_antigen/6QRXe5QI">human leukocyte antigens</a>, which can interfere with subsequent transfusions. </p>