title: Transfusion-related adverse reactions reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network Hemovigilance Module, United States, 2010 to 2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2010, health care facilities in the United States began voluntary enrollment in the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Hemovigilance Module. Participants report transfusion practices; red blood cell, platelet (PLT), plasma, and cryoprecipitate units transfused; and transfusion-related adverse reactions and process errors to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through a secure, Internet-accessible surveillance application available to transfusing facilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Facilities submitting at least 1 month of transfused components data and adverse reactions from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2012, were included in this analysis. Adverse reaction rates for transfused components, stratified by component type and collection and modification methods, were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2010 to 2012, a total of 77 facilities reported 5136 adverse reactions among 2,144,723 components transfused (239.5/100,000). Allergic (46.8%) and febrile nonhemolytic (36.1%) reactions were most frequent; 7.2% of all reactions were severe or life-threatening and 0.1% were fatal. PLT transfusions (421.7/100,000) had the highest adverse reaction rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adverse transfusion reaction rates from the NHSN Hemovigilance Module in the United States are comparable to early hemovigilance reporting from other countries. Although severe reactions are infrequent, the numbers of transfusion reactions in US hospitals suggest that interventions to prevent these reactions are important for patient safety. Further investigation is needed to understand the apparent increased risk of reactions from apheresis-derived blood components. Comprehensive evaluation, including data validation, is important to continued refinement of the module.
authors.affiliation: Office of Blood, Organ and Other Tissue Safety, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Alexis R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: Office of Blood, Organ and Other Tissue Safety, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Sridhar V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Basavaraju
authors.affiliation: Office of Blood, Organ and Other Tissue Safety, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Koo-Whang
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Office of Blood, Organ and Other Tissue Safety, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kuehnert
mesh_terms: D055371:Acute Lung Injury / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D016913:Blood Component Transfusion / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058731:Blood Safety; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D047589:Leukocyte Reduction Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D065227:Transfusion Reaction / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States