Importance of haemovigilance and reports on transfusion reaction in blood component therapy

INTRODUCTION: Application of blood and blood components throughout decades is very successful and mostly safe procedure in patients' therapy. However, it may lead to unfavourable effects, such as transfusion reactions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the period from 2000 to 2009, 180 transfusion reactions were reported at the Department of Clinical Transfusion of the Service for Blood Transfusion of Vojvodina in Novi Sad. The aetiology of transfusion reactions was determined by examining pre-transfusion and post-transfusion sample of patient's blood and by examining the unit of blood component that induced reaction. RESULTS: Out of 180 reported transfusion reactions, 98 (54.4%) were febrile non-haemolytic transfusion reactions, 69 (38.3%) allergic reactions and 2 (1.11%) haemolytic reactions. Blood components that caused most of transfusion reactions were erythrocytes (62.4%), fresh frozen plasma (11.2%) and platelets (14.4%). All patients underwent multiple transfusions. DISCUSSION: The fact that only 0.13% transfusion reactions were reported, compared with data from literature (2-15%), points to the lack of regular reporting of transfusion reactions, as well as the fact that there is only one report of delayed transfusion reaction. CONCLUSIONS: To improve and make blood transfusion safer it is necessary to respect all pre-transfusion procedures, constant follow up of blood transfusion must be done and patients with diagnosed non-haemolytic transfusion reaction should be given leukocyte reduced blood components.