Status:
Ready to upload
Record number:
1319
Adverse Occurrence type:
MPHO Type:
Estimated frequency:
Transfusion-transmitted sepsis is the most common infectious complication of transfusion (especially for platelets that are stored at room temperature), but is relatively rare as a cause of blood transfusion overall.
Time to detection:
Immediate (during transfusion).
Alerting signals, symptoms, evidence of occurrence:
Patient who was receiving an autologous unit donated by the recipient pre-operatively, had chills, fever, and became hypotensive after transfusion of a blood unit. Recovered after antibiotic treatment. In retrospect, autologous donor also had a diabetic foot ulcer which was infected (which did not grow Serratia), and eventually required amputation.
Demonstration of imputability or root cause:
Unit showed gram negative rods on gram stain, and grew Serratia liquefaciens. Unclear if patient was cultured, or empirically treated with antibiotics.
Imputability grade:
2 Probable
Groups audience:
Suggest references:
Duncan, K.L., Ransley, J. and Eleterman, M, (1994). Transfusion-transmitted Serratia liquifaciens from an autologous blood unit. Transfusion 34(8): 738-9.