Retrospective evaluation of acute transfusion reactions in a tertiary hospital in Erzurum, Turkey

OBJECTIVE: Transfusion of blood and blood components is a special type of tissue transplantation, a life-saving treatment. However, besides the benefits of blood product transfusions, there are also some undesirable side effects. In the present study, the frequency and type of transfusion reactions related to blood and blood components were investigated. METHODS: In this retrospective study, types and the time of occurrence of acute transfusion reaction (ATR), the types of blood and blood components used in our hospital between January 2018 and January 2020 were evaluated for hemovigilance using unit blood products application and side effect reporting forms. RESULTS: During the 2-year period, 61,636 blood and/or blood components were used in 9334 patients, and 53 of the transfused patients developed ATR. In two patients, ATR developed 2 times and a total of 55 ATR developed. Of the patients who developed ATR, 18 were female and 35 were male, and their ages ranged from 1 month to 85 years. The frequency of ATR was 0.09%, and 47.3% of ATRs were allergic transfusion reactions, 41.8% were febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reactions (FNHTRs), 7.3% were hypotensive transfusion reactions, and 1.8% were transfusion-related lung injury. Fifty-five ATRs were found to be associated with 61.8% erythrocyte suspension, 30.9% with FFP, 5.5% with platelet suspension, and 1.8% with whole blood. CONCLUSION: There are a limited number of studies evaluating transfusion reaction frequency and reaction types from our country. The most frequent ATR reported in our hospital were mild allergic reactions and FNHTR. The most common side effect of blood product type was erythrocyte suspension. It is important to monitor the transfused patients for undesired reactions during and after the transfusion to determine the frequency, type, risk factors, and safety precautions of the transfusion reactions.