1958 Volume 5 Issue 4 Pages 156-160
The authors made statistical observations on the incidence of post-transfusion jaundice during the period from January 1, 1954 to October 30, 1957 in 365 patients answering their questionnaires.
1). The frequency of post-transfusion jaundice was 4.1per cent, the incubation period being 30-120 days (mean value: 65 days) and the duration of the disease 5-60 days (mean value: 39 days).
2). No relationship was found between the morbidity and blood type or sex. The highest incidence was in individuals below 20 years of age, followed by those between 30 and 50 years.
3). Both fresh and preserved bloods produced the disease and the difference between the two was difficult to estimate, since the use of fresh blood was made only in a few cases.
4). The incidence seemed to be higher in transfusions of more than 4, 000cc of blood than in those of lesser amounts.
5). The disease occurred more frequently in patients with tuberculosis who received large quantities of blood both before and after the operation, and less in those with gastric cancer.
6). The prognosis was generally good and there were no fatalities.
