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10-Jan-2013
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Arch Hellen Med, 29(6), November-December 2012, 679-687 REVIEW Mortality from underestimated blood transfusion reactions A. Gafou,1 N. Vgontza,2 V. Tsagari,2 C. Veneti,2 A. Argyrou1 |
As the risk of allogeneic blood transfusion transmitted viruses has been reduced to impressively low levels, scientific efforts have been concentrated on the residual mortality risk from other side-effects of transfusion such as hemolytic reactions, transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), sepsis and transfusion associated cardiac overload. Recent data on complications related to mortality which are not reported to hemovigilance systems are not, however, clearly attributable to transfusion. This is a report of new research programs which are expected to significantly increase knowledge regarding the effectiveness of current transfusion strategies and lead to the development of new strategies, resulting in cost benefit optimization of transfusion practices for the patient.
Key words: Blood transfusion, Morbidity, Mortality, Risk factors, Side-effects.