Infectious Transfusion Complications

Question 1

What is the risk of HIV or HCV infection from a transfusion?

Answer 1

Residual risk of HIV or HCV infection through transfusion is about 1 event per 1 to 2 x 10^6 units transfused.

Question 2

What is the most significant infectious complication of transfusion in terms of both the number of transmitted infections and the number of fatalities?

Answer 2

Bacterial contamination of blood components

Question 3

What is the risk for bacterial infection from a blood transfusion?

Answer 3

In the US, about 1 in 500,000 units of RBCs or 1 in 10,000 or 20,000 units of platelets is associated with transfusion transmitted sepsis

Question 4

What are the organisms associated with septic RBC transfusions?

Answer 4

Yersinia enterocolitic and Pseudomonas

Question 5

What are the organisms associated with platelet transfusions?

Answer 5

Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, as well as Klebsiella, Salmonella, and Enterobacter

Question 6

Where are bacterial contaminants suspected to come from?

Answer 6

Bacterial sources are felt to be skin contaminants from the donor

Question 7

How can CMV be transmitted in a transfusion?

Answer 7

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can be transmitted by transfusion of blood components that contain leukocytes, such as packed RBCs and platelets

Question 8

Does infection with CMV usually cause serious disease?

Answer 8

Primary infection rarely causes serious disease in immunologically intact hosts but is associated with systemic infection in immunocompromised patients (premature low birth weight infants, CMV-seronegative pregnant women, CMV-seronegative recipients of hematopoietic or solid organ transplants, or CMV-seronegative HIV infected patients).

Question 9

What are the ways to prevent CMV infection from a transfusion?

Answer 9

CMV reduced risk blood components can be obtained by screening donors for CMV antibody or removing leukocytes that contain latent CMV.