Assessment of Acute Adverse Reactions Following Blood Transfusion in KIMS Hospital: A Prospective Haemovigilance Study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Blood transfusion is life-saving but may cause acute transfusion reactions (ATRs) within 24 hours. This study determined the incidence, type, severity and imputability of ATRs using the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) scale. Methods: A nine-month prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Bengaluru after ethics approval. Inpatients aged up to 65 years who received blood or blood components were monitored during transfusion and followed up for 24 hours; demographic, transfusion and pre-medication details and vital signs were recorded. Reactions were classified by type, severity and imputability using ISBT criteria; additionally, associations were tested with Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests. Results: Of 290 patients (57% female; 65.2% aged 41–65 years), 87.6% received packed red blood cells. Twenty-nine ATRs occurred (incidence 10.0%). Febrile non-haemolytic reactions (48.3%) and allergic reactions (27.6%) were the most common, and 65.5% began 1–5 hours after the start of transfusion. Reactions were Grade 1 (non-severe) in 59% and Grade 2 (severe) in 41%; 62.1% were of probable imputability, and all patients recovered. Pre-medication was given to 3.8% of patients, selectively to those with previous reactions (p<0.001). A recovery rate of 100% was achieved with timely management. None of the factors showed a significant association with adverse transfusion reactions. Conclusion: These findings emphasizes the importance of continuous bedside monitoring, structured haemovigilance practices, and timely management. To ensure transfusion safety, active surveillance plays a crucial role in early detection and reporting of adverse transfusion reactions.
Language: English
Subfield: Hematology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7223151660