Work up for a febrile or other adverse event in association with autologous blood administration
A physician in Michigan would like to know how other institutions would manage a patient who develops a temperature elevation (or any other adverse event) in association with either the reinfusion of cellsaver processed blood, or in association with an autologous transfusion. The inquiring colleague reports that at his institution they would consider such a reaction as a possible transfusion reaction, and work up the patient/product in a fashion similar to an allogeneic transfusion.
The following comments have been submitted in response.
ADDENDA March 19, 2010
- A colleague in Iowa comments that since there is still the possibility that a unit identification mix-up can occur, an apparent reaction to an autologous transfusion should be worked up in the same way as any other allogeneic blood transfusion reaction work-up. That is, work it up based on the symptoms, not the apparent donor source.
Editors' note: Stored autologous blood is also susceptible to contamination/ overgrowth by bacteria.
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