Noninfectious Complications of Blood Transfusion in the South of Kerman Province: A 4-Year Retrospective Study

Although today, transfusion therapy has turned from a hazardous condition to a relatively safe method with the improvement of technology, the highest risk for the patient is a complication of blood transfusions. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and pattern of transfusion-related adverse events.

This study is a retrospective review which examined data of all those who received blood transfusions at Kashani and Imam Khomeini hospitals of the south of Kerman province from 2014 to 2018 years.

Of the total 16081 blood transfusions, 148 (0.92%) cases of blood complications were observed. Most cases occurred in males aged 31-40 and over 50 years, O blood group, injection packed red blood cell (PRBC) product, and within 20-60 minutes. Most of the transfusion-related complications were related to the surgery ward and in patients without underlying disease, and most complications included fever and chills.

The results of our study showed that the highest transfusion-related complications were fever and chills. Therefore, fever and chills in the early hours of transfusion should be considered as the most common transfusion-related complications.