Effect of Transfusions on the Incidence of Bacterial Infection

摘要

The use of blood transfusions have been a art of medical practice for over half acentury. The efficacy of blood and blood products in patients in hypovolemic shock from trauma or operative procedures has been well established. During the past quarter century, it has been demonstrated that blood transfusions administered prior to transplantation decrease the frequency and severity of allograft rejection. More recent work has indicated that this beneficial effect is the result of the transfusion inducing a stat of immunosuppression in the recipient. A number of reports have suggested that this posttransfusion immunosuppression may result in an increased susceptibility to bacterial infections. Blood transfusions became a clinical reality following Landsteiner's demonstration of three of the four main blood groups in 1990. Subsequent to this discovery, the complications that resulted from the transfusion of incompatible red blood cells became avoidable and transfusion of blood and blood products became reasonably safe and accepted treatment for severe anemias and life-threatening hemorrhage. (js)