Four premature infants who suffered from a GVHD-like syndrome prompted us to irradiate blood for transfusion on infants, and some efforts were made to minimize the transfusion volume and not to use incompletely screened and heparinized blood.
Consequently, we have not had a case of GVHD-like syndrome and other severe side effects due to blood transfusion. However, blood units for emergency use have not been irradiated yet. Therefore, supplies of irradiated whole blood units and small blood volume units for infants is needed from the Red Cross Blood Center.
