Streptococcus, Group B

Record number: 
1040
Adverse Occurrence type: 
MPHO Type: 
Estimated frequency: 
All transfusion reactions that occurred from 2007 to 2011 at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center were analyzed and correlated with microbiology culture results. A total of 999 reactions were reported, with an incidence of two per 1000 transfusion events. A total of 738 reactions occurred in 642 patients during transfusion through a CVC.
Time to detection: 
4 hours
Alerting signals, symptoms, evidence of occurrence: 
Chills and dyspnea
Demonstration of imputability or root cause: 
The blood culture results and timing suggested that these patients likely had catheter-related bloodstream infections caused by transfusion through a CVC with subclinical microbial colonization.
Imputability grade: 
2 Probable
Suggest references: 
Ricci, K.S., Martinez, F., Lichtiger, B. and Han, X.Y. (2014). Septic transfusion reactions during blood transfusion via indwelling central venous catheters. Transfusion 54(10): 2412-18.