The therapeutic value of blood transfusion in a wide variety of clinical conditions is constantly being more appreciated. In the treatment of anemia, in septicemia and toxemia, in certain nutritional states and in many types of both acute and chronic infection, the value of blood from a suitable donor has been definitely established.
As these conditions affect infants and young children, the benefits of blood transfusion seem to be especially marked.
Unfortunately, the technical difficulties involved in the intravenous administration of blood to infants are so great as practically to limit its frequent use to well equipped hospitals with specially trained staffs, and are such as to preclude its use by the average practitioner. Even under the best of circumstances in hospitals and with the most experienced operators, it is not at all unusual to encounter difficulty in entering a child's vein, especially when it is desirable to do so