Impact of the Hemovigilance System on the Report of Tansfusion Reactions in Thalassemia Patients

Background:Despite the vital role of blood transfusion, it has a series of side effects. The hemovigilance is a monitoring and surveillance system that monitors the entire blood supply chain to improve blood transfusion safety from donor to recipient. The system was implemented in Yazd for the first time in 2010. This study was conducted to compare the relative frequency of blood transfusion reactions in thalassemia patients before and after the implementation of the hemovigilance system.Methods:This study was conducted in Shahid Sadoughi Hospital of Yazd Province. Data for blood transfusion reactions were retrieved from patient records and hemovigilance forms from 2007 to 2016. The frequency, type, and severity of acute transfusion reactions were compared in thalassemia patients before and after the establishment of the hemovigilance system. Results:A total of 117 thalassemia patients were referred to the Shahid Sadoughi Hospital for transfusions during the study period. The mean relative frequency of blood transfusion reactions in patients with thalassemia major was recorded as 0.62% and 0.97% before and after the implementation of the hemovigilance system, respectively. The most frequent transfusion reactions were allergic reactions and febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reactions. Severity and imputability of acute transfusion reactions were recorded only after the implementation of the hemovigilance system.Conclusions:Hemovigilance system establishment helps in the recording of transfusion reactions precisely. The information gained from transfusion reactions could improve thalassemia patients’ care.

Keywords:

Transfusion reaction , Thalassemia , Hemovigilance