Transfusion complications due to human error in thalassemic patients

Background and ObjectivesWhile public focus is on the risks of transfusion transmitted infections, transfusion errors contribute significantly to adverse reactions. Case In this study we describe two cases of mistransfusion; two thalassemic siblings were admitted for monthly transfusion: a 19 year old boy and his sister. The donor whose blood donation was cross matched for the sister had a name similar to the brother; so it was wrongly administered to him that led to the hemolytic reaction. Another 2.5 year old boy with O+ blood group received A+ blood because of the staff error in recording the patient blood group and neglecting the crossmatch. Conclusions The most prevalant complications of blood transfusion are due to human error. In order to decrease errors, it is recommended to double check the blood order form and the information on the blood bag.