Last update:

   10-Jan-2013
 

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
1Blood Bank, "Agioi Anargyroi" General Anticancer Hospital, Athens,
2Blood Bank, "Konstantopoulio" General Hospital of Nea Ionia, Athens, Greece

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.


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