title: Haemovigilance of reactions associated with red blood cell transfusion: comparison across 17 Countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The recent establishment of the National Healthcare Safety Network Hemovigilance Module in the United States affords an opportunity to compare results with those of other developed nations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from national haemovigilance systems, reactions associated with red blood cell (RBC) transfusion and residual risks of transfusion-transmitted infectious diseases were assembled from 17 nations. Country-specific rates of adverse events were pooled using random-effects Poisson regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Febrile non-haemolytic and delayed serologic transfusion reactions were the most frequent adverse events reported after RBC transfusion, occurring in 26 patients per 100 000 RBC units and 25 patients per 100 000 RBC units administered, respectively. Rates of allergic, febrile non-haemolytic and delayed haemolytic transfusion reactions in the United States were significantly greater than the pooled rates from other countries. Frequencies of adverse events generated from the national haemovigilance programme in the United States were considerably lower than when obtained through active surveillance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Haemovigilance reports of adverse events in the United States are comparable to, or greater than, reports from other developed countries. Rates generated from haemovigilance programmes are lower than those obtained through active surveillance. The lack of universal leucoreduction of RBC units may be a contributing factor to the higher rate of some adverse events in the United States.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.|Patient Safety Enhancement Program, Veterans Administration Ann Arbor Medical Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: M A M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Blumberg
mesh_terms: D000569:Americas; D001208:Asia; D044362:Australasia; D058731:Blood Safety / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000635:transmission; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D012306:Risk; D065227:Transfusion Reaction / Q000209:etiology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000635:transmission
keywords: adverse reaction; haemovigilance; international; transfusion