Non-hemolytic acute transfusion reactions: the impact of patient and blood product characteristics

Background Non-hemolytic acute transfusion reactions (ATRs) are generally not fatal, but they can cause serious increases in workload and costs as a result of blood product wastage. Methods A retrospective analysis was made of the data of the 7-year period between January 2016 and December 2022 to identify the possible associations between patient and product characteristics and the development of ATRs. Results A total of 113,666 blood products were transfused during the study period. There were 146 ATRs with an estimated rate of 1.28 per 1000 blood products administered. The most common ATR was mild allergic reactions (n = 84, 57.6%). No statistically significant relationship was found in blood group distribution between patients who had and did not develop ATR (p = 0.797). Febrile Non-hemolytic Transfusion Reaction (FNHTR) was more common in patients receiving erythrocyte suspension (ES) transfusion, and Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) was mostly used in those with mild allergic reactions (p < 0.001). Patient age was determined as > 60 years in those who developed FNHTR or 'others,' and < 60 years in patients with mild allergic reactions (p = 0.046). Conclusion The results of the current study demonstrated that regardless of blood group, the probability of developing FNHTR is high when ES is transfused in elderly patients, and the probability of developing mild allergic reaction is high when FFP is used. While recognizing that ATRs are difficult to prevent, it can be emphasized that prediction and management may become easier if clinicians keep these possibilities in mind when making transfusion decisions.