bloodless

Bloodless is an English adjective describing the absence of blood in a given context. The literal sense refers to tissue, organs, or bodies that contain no blood or to situations with no active bleeding. In medical usage, bloodless can denote approaches that minimize or avoid exposure to donor blood, as in bloodless medicine and surgery. This often involves preoperative optimization of a patient’s red cell mass, meticulous surgical technique to limit blood loss, the use of blood-conserving devices, and medications such as antifibrinolytics or volume expanders. Programs focused on bloodless care aim to reduce the need for allogeneic blood transfusions, improving safety and outcomes for patients who refuse transfusions or for whom donor blood is scarce.

In nonmedical contexts, bloodless is used figuratively to describe actions or events that occur without violence or bloodshed, such as a bloodless coup or a bloodless victory. The term can also describe a pale complexion or a lack of vitality, though such usage is less specific and often metaphorical.

Etymology and usage: the term derives from the combination of blood and the suffix -less, indicating absence. It has been used in English for several centuries to express both literal and figurative notions of blood absence.

See also: anemia, hemostasis, blood transfusion, patient blood management, tranexamic acid, bloodless medicine and surgery.