title: Reducing noninfectious risks of blood transfusion.
abstract: As screening for transfusion-associated infections has improved, noninfectious complications of transfusion now cause the majority of morbidity and mortality associated with transfusion in the United States. For example, transfusion-related acute lung injury, transfusion-associated circulatory overload, and hemolytic transfusion-reactions are the first, second, and third leading causes of death from transfusion, respectively. These complications and others are reviewed, and several controversial methods for prevention of noninfectious complications of transfusion are discussed, including universal leukoreduction of erythrocyte units, use of male-only plasma, and restriction of erythrocyte storage age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-0624, USA.
authors.forename: Brian M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Gilliss
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Looney
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gropper
mesh_terms: D055371:Acute Lung Injury / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D001793:Blood Preservation; D046528:Chimerism; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology; D007022:Hypotension / Q000209:etiology; D056747:Immunomodulation; D047589:Leukocyte Reduction Procedures; D010949:Plasma; D011693:Purpura / Q000209:etiology; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D065227:Transfusion Reaction