1. the reinfusion of a patient's own blood or blood components that have been collected, processed, or salvaged during surgery or medical treatment
Usage: medical/surgical term; also called autologous transfusion

Examples

• Autotransfusion reduces the need for donor blood during major surgery.
• The surgeon used autotransfusion to return the patient's own blood that was collected during the operation.
• Autotransfusion is preferred when possible because it eliminates the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections.
• Blood salvage and autotransfusion techniques have become standard in cardiac surgery.
• The hospital implemented autotransfusion protocols to minimize exposure to allogeneic blood products.