title: Effect of premedication guidelines and leukoreduction on the rate of febrile nonhaemolytic platelet transfusion reactions.
abstract: Platelet transfusion reactions were prospectively studied in haematology/oncology patients at five university teaching hospitals over three consecutive summers. The initial summer study provided baseline information on the use of premedications and the rate of platelet transfusion reactions (fever, chills, rigors and hives). Most (73%) platelet recipients were premedicated and 30% (95% CI 28-33%) of transfusions were complicated by reactions. The second study followed implementation of guidelines for premedicating platelet transfusions. Despite a marked reduction in premedication (50%), there was little change in the platelet transfusion reaction rate, 26% (95% CI 24-29%), or the type of reactions. The third study followed implementation of prestorage platelet leukoreduction while maintaining the premedication guidelines. The reaction rate decreased to 19% (95% CI 17-22%). For nonleukoreduced platelets, there was a statistically significant association between the platelet age and reaction rate (P = 0.04). For leukoreduced platelets, there was no statistically significant association between platelet age and reaction rate (P = 0.5). Plasma reduction of nonleukoreduced platelet products also reduced the reaction rate. These prospective studies document a high rate of platelet transfusion reactions in haematology/oncology patients and indicate premedication use can be reduced without increasing the reaction rate. Prestorage leukoreduction and/or plasma reduction of platelet products reduces but does not eliminate febrile nonhemolytic platelet transfusion reactions.
authors.affiliation: The Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bruce.Patterson@uhn.on.ca
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Blanchette
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sher
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pinkerton
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hannach
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meharchand
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boyce
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pinchefsky
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tasev
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pinchefsky
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shulman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: MacK
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Blanchette
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Greenspan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Panzarella
mesh_terms: D001793:Blood Preservation; D023341:Chills / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes; D008297:Male; D017713:Platelet Transfusion / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011292:Premedication; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014581:Urticaria / Q000209:etiology