INVESTIGATIONS OF ADVERSE TRANSFUSION REACTIONS ACCORDING TO CLINICAL DEPARTMENTS OF UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS IN JAPAN

Abstract

Adverse transfusion reactions were investigated according to clinical departments of university hospitals. Clinical signs and symptoms during and after transfusion were collected according to the methods recommended by the Hemovigilance Committee of the Japan Society of Transfusion Medicine and Cell Therapy. From 2009 to 2011, 17 universities reported 8,851 adverse transfusion reactions occurring at a rate of 0.72% per bag. Platelet concentrates (PC) induced transfusion reactions at a rate of 3.16%. The incidence of transfusion reactions with red blood cells (RBC) and fresh-frozen plasma (FPP) was 0.57% and 0.79%, respectively. In hematology and pediatric departments, PC induced transfusion reactions at relatively high rates of 3.84% and 4.79%, respectively. In nephrology departments providing dialysis, FFP induced transfusion reactions at a relatively high rate of 4.12%. The collection of all clinical signs and symptoms associated with adverse transfusion reactions among university hospitals revealed a novel risk of transfusion reactions, which had not been clear previously.