ABSTRACT
Introduction: blood transfusion remains an essential therapeutic intervention, but the occurrence of transfusion reactions makes its administration even more complex. Vigilant reporting of such reactions by recipients of blood products is essential for effective haemovigilance. This study aimed to determine the frequency and nature of transfusion reactions. Methods: conducted over five years (2017-2021) at the Haemovigilance Department of the Rabat Regional Blood Transfusion Centre, this retrospective study exploited incident forms notified by health establishments and data from the regional blood transfusion centre's computer system. Results: from 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2021, the Rabat Regional Blood Transfusion Centre distributed 435,651 labile blood products to various healthcare establishments, which reported 191 transfusion reactions involving 191 patients. The median age of the patients was 44.3 years, with an overall cumulative incidence of transfusion reactions of 0.44 per 1000 labile blood products delivered. The predominant reactions were non-haemolytic febrile and allergic reactions, accounting for 41.36% and 35.60% respectively. Grade 1 reactions accounted for 87% of all reactions recorded. During the study period, three deaths were recorded, with ABO incompatibility and transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) accounting for two and one case respectively. Transfusion reactions involving erythrocyte components were significantly more frequent than those involving platelet and plasma components. Conclusion: this study revealed a relatively low incidence of transfusion reactions (0.44%), dominated by non-haemolytic febrile and allergic reactions. Several levels of failure were identified, in particular under-reporting of reactions and inadequate training in transfusion practices and haemovigilance, as well as the need for an effective electronic transfusion reaction reporting system to facilitate reporting and identification of underlying problems and risk factors to improve the quality of transfusion care provided to patients.
