[Indications for blood products].

The indications of blood products are now well established, and the optimal use of these products requires a perfect knowledge of both their characteristics and the risks created by their transfusion to patients. The description, since 1982, of HIV infection following the administration of blood components and plasma derivatives has prompted important modifications in the use of blood products, especially in intensive care units. At the moment, diluted albumin must be preferred to fresh frozen plasma, except in very special and rare cases. Modern viral inactivation techniques have made the haemostatic blood components quite safe as regards the transmission of viral diseases.