Novel approaches to measure transfusion effectiveness.

Purpose Of Review: This review encompasses different considerations of transfusion effectiveness based upon clinical scenario and transfusion indication. Tissue oxygenation, cerebral metabolic oxygen use, and red blood cell (RBC) survival are important elements of transfusion effectiveness in individuals with acute and chronic transfusion requirements.

Recent Findings: Noninvasive measures of tissue and cerebral oxygen extraction include near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and specialized MRI sequences.