The Clinical Benefits of the Leukoreduction of Blood Products

Abstract

Many adverse events associated with the transfusion of allogeneic blood products have been shown to be related to the presence of allogeneic leukocytes in the blood product transfused. Until recently little attention has been paid to the leukocytes present in various blood components, however, over the past two decades it has been shown that the removal of such “passenger” leukocytes is associated with improved clinical outcomes. These include: the reduction in the incidence and severity of febrile transfusion reactions; reducing the CMV transfusion transmission risk; reducing the risk of alloimmune platelet refractoriness; the possible avoidance of vCJD transmission; as well as reducing the risk of mortality and organ dysfunction in cardiac surgery patients, and possibly in other categories of patients.