The reactions and complications of blood bank transfusions

ABSTRACT

1. The Army blood bank during the early period of the Liberation in 1945 used by the PCAU hospitals showed a high percentage of reactions (24%), due partly to insufficient refrigeration, to trauma which it had been subjected in its transportation and mainly due to the use of blood during or after its expiration dates2. By eliminating the above factors and by constant improving the different phases of its operation the St. Lukes Hospital Blood Bank has gradually and effectively diminished the reactions - 19% in the first year of operation; then 13%, and finally 8% (August, 1946 to March, 1947). The reaction of 8% in the last 3 months compares favorably with the Mayo Clinic Blood Bank3. The preservation technic of blood including the preservative solution, variations in temperature, trauma, and long period of storage of the blood is just as important as the hemolytic incompatibilities. All the factors in blood preservation technic work together and should be controlled together, in order to insure successful blood banking4. The majority of the reactions observed by us were primarily due to pyrogen and contaminated bottles and tubings; and they are allergic or anaphylactic in origin. The Rh factor frequent among Americans is not an important cause of transfusion reaction among Filipinos, because 97.3% of Filipinos are Rh positive5. The transmission of syphilis and malaria by blood bank transfusion has not been observed by us until now, due to the rigid routine Kahn control of all our donors, and to the use of the Field Stain of the concentrated blood smear for malaria in suspected cases6. Although the cardiovascular accidents are very rate and were not observed by us, physicians should always exercise caution when giving transfusion to patients with myocardial damage, hypertension, or blood dyscrasias. (Summary)