International databases: Usefulness and limitations in hemovigilance

A number of international databases are well-known and useful tools for professionals in blood transfusion. The advent of national hemovigilance registries and an international focus on transfusion practice and transfusion safety has led individuals and organisations to collect and compare data. This has led to the development of internationally useful indicators, for instance figures for the numbers of red cell products transfused per 1000 in the population. An international database of hemovigilance data (surveillance database for transfusion associated adverse reactions and events [STARE]) is currently being developed by the International Hemovigilance Network. In the pilot phase, it is seen that differences exist between the rates of adverse reactions and events. Factors such as the working method and definitions in use in the countries must be taken into account and efforts made to increase uniformity of the data. The remaining variability might then generate hypotheses of areas or types of increased risk, which would need to be further investigated in specific projects. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.