Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Canadian Family Physician logoLink to Canadian Family Physician
. 1984 Sep;30:1803–1806.

The Safety of Blood Transfusions

M L Schroeder, H L Rayner
PMCID: PMC2154235  PMID: 21279095

Abstract

Blood transfusion therapy carries a small risk of complications—usually minor—which include allergic reactions, hemolysis, and the transmission of infections. Fatal hemolytic transfusion reactions are rare and are usually due to human error resulting in administration of ABO incompatible blood. Viral hepatitis (usually non-A, non-B) remains the major infectious complication, with a risk of two to five percent. The transmission by transfusion of AIDS has also been reported, but the risk is much lower—about 0.001%. As yet, no blood substitute is available for clinical use. Routine hepatitis B testing and the volunteer blood donor system ensure that transfusion risks are minimal in Canada. By limiting transfusion to those patients who truly need it, a high therapeutic index can be maintained.

Full text

PDF
1803

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aach R. D., Kahn R. A. Post-transfusion hepatitis: current perspectives. Ann Intern Med. 1980 Apr;92(4):539–546. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-92-4-539. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Aach R. D., Szmuness W., Mosley J. W., Hollinger F. B., Kahn R. A., Stevens C. E., Edwards V. M., Werch J. Serum alanine aminotransferase of donors in relation to the risk of non-A,non-B hepatitis in recipients: the transfusion-transmitted viruses study. N Engl J Med. 1981 Apr 23;304(17):989–994. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198104233041701. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Alter H. J., Holland P. V., Purcell R. H., Lander J. J., Feinstone S. M., Morrow A. G., Schmidt P. J. Posttransfusion hepatitis after exclusion of commercial and hepatitis-B antigen-positive donors. Ann Intern Med. 1972 Nov;77(5):691–699. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-77-5-691. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Barré-Sinoussi F., Chermann J. C., Rey F., Nugeyre M. T., Chamaret S., Gruest J., Dauguet C., Axler-Blin C., Vézinet-Brun F., Rouzioux C. Isolation of a T-lymphotropic retrovirus from a patient at risk for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Science. 1983 May 20;220(4599):868–871. doi: 10.1126/science.6189183. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Biro G. P. Current status of erythrocyte substitutes. Can Med Assoc J. 1983 Aug 1;129(3):237–244. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cossart Y. E., Kirsch S., Ismay S. L. Post-transfusion hepatitis in Australia. Report of the Australian Red Cross study. Lancet. 1982 Jan 23;1(8265):208–213. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(82)90770-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. DeVenuto F. Modified hemoglobin solution as a resuscitation fluid. Vox Sang. 1983 Mar;44(3):129–142. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Decary F., Ferner P., Giavedoni L., Hartman A., Howie R., Kalovsky E., Laschinger C., Malette M., Martyres A., Mervart H. An investigation of nonhemolytic transfusion reactions. Vox Sang. 1984;46(5):277–285. doi: 10.1111/j.1423-0410.1984.tb00087.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gallo R. C., Salahuddin S. Z., Popovic M., Shearer G. M., Kaplan M., Haynes B. F., Palker T. J., Redfield R., Oleske J., Safai B. Frequent detection and isolation of cytopathic retroviruses (HTLV-III) from patients with AIDS and at risk for AIDS. Science. 1984 May 4;224(4648):500–503. doi: 10.1126/science.6200936. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Honig C. L., Bove J. R. Transfusion-associated fatalities: review of Bureau of Biologics reports 1976-1978. Transfusion. 1980 Nov-Dec;20(6):653–661. doi: 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1980.20681057154.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Leikola J., Koistinen J., Lehtinen M., Virolainen M. IgA-induced anaphylactic transfusion reactions: a report of four cases. Blood. 1973 Jul;42(1):111–119. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Marx J. L. Strong new candidate for AIDS agent. Science. 1984 May 4;224(4648):475–477. doi: 10.1126/science.6324344. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nath N., Dodd R. Y., Fang C. T. Enzyme-linked immunoassay for hepatitis B surface antigen. An evaluation of commercial test kits. Transfusion. 1983 Jan-Feb;23(1):45–48. doi: 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1983.23183147304.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sarngadharan M. G., Popovic M., Bruch L., Schüpbach J., Gallo R. C. Antibodies reactive with human T-lymphotropic retroviruses (HTLV-III) in the serum of patients with AIDS. Science. 1984 May 4;224(4648):506–508. doi: 10.1126/science.6324345. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tabor E., Gerety R. J. Non-A, non-B hepatitis: new findings and prospects for prevention. Transfusion. 1979 Nov-Dec;19(6):669–674. doi: 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1979.19680104091.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Tremper K. K., Friedman A. E., Levine E. M., Lapin R., Camarillo D. The preoperative treatment of severely anemic patients with a perfluorochemical oxygen-transport fluid, Fluosol-DA. N Engl J Med. 1982 Jul 29;307(5):277–283. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198207293070503. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Vyas G. N., Perkins H. A., Fudenberg H. H. Anaphylactoid transfusion reactions associated with anti-IgA. Lancet. 1968 Aug 10;2(7563):312–315. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(68)90527-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Canadian Family Physician are provided here courtesy of College of Family Physicians of Canada

RESOURCES