Risk of Posttransfusion Hepatitis in the United States

Abstract

Transfusion of 4,984 cardiovascular surgery patients with an average of 7.7 units of blood at 14 university medical centers resulted in symptomatic hepatitis in 2.8% and death in 0.1%. Among additional patients receiving fibrinogen and blood, the hepatitis incidence and mortality were 19% and 4%, respectively. These figures do not include 0.1% incidence of hepatitis within 15 days of receiving halogenated anesthetics, and 0.1% incidence of "postperfusion" syndrome. The risk of typical symptomatic posttransfusion hepatitis among the 14 centers varied, in order of correlation, with (1) the incidence of hepatitis type B antigen in donor blood, (2) the proportion of commercial donors, and (3) transfusion volume, and ranged from 0 to 8.6 per 100 patients, or 0 to 1.56/100 units of blood. Hepatitis was not prevented by intramuscular injections of immune serum globulin (γ-globulin) containing conventionally low amounts of hepatitis-B antibody.