title: Survival of blood transfusion recipients identified by a look-back investigation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Survival of blood transfusion recipients is a critical consideration in assessing the outcomes of transfusion. Data from the USA on the short- and long-term survival of recipients are limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood product recipients were identified through a look-back study of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Survival data were obtained from searches of the National Death Index or the Social Security Death Master File. Short- and long-term survival of recipients was analysed through descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and stratified Cox proportional hazard modelling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study includes data from 575 blood product recipients. One half of the recipients died within the first year of transfusion and the median time to death was 1.1 years. Survival rates at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years after transfusion were 32%, 22%, 15%, 12%, and 9%, respectively. Survival rates varied with age at transfusion and type of component received, but not by gender. Survival after transfusion varied by year of transfusion, with recipients transfused in 1980-1989 having longer post-transfusion survival than those transfused in 2000-2010 (p=0.049). In multivariate models, the type of component transfused, but not the year of transfusion, was a significant predictor of survival among recipients; this effect varied by age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We provide an estimate of survival time from a geographically diverse sample of blood product recipients in the USA. Predictors of post-transfusion survival are numerous and complex, and may include year of transfusion and type of component transfused.
authors: Jerome H. Holland Laboratory for the Biomedical Sciences, American Red Cross, Rockville, MD, United States of America.
authors: Kerri A
authors: KA
authors: Dorsey
authors: Jerome H. Holland Laboratory for the Biomedical Sciences, American Red Cross, Rockville, MD, United States of America.
authors: Erin D
authors: ED
authors: Moritz
authors: Jerome H. Holland Laboratory for the Biomedical Sciences, American Red Cross, Rockville, MD, United States of America.
authors: Edward P
authors: EP
authors: Notari
authors: Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
authors: Lawrence B
authors: LB
authors: Schonberger
authors: Jerome H. Holland Laboratory for the Biomedical Sciences, American Red Cross, Rockville, MD, United States of America.
authors: Roger Y
authors: RY
authors: Dodd
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000401:mortality*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology