transfusions in kidney transplant patients

Q: All post-kidney transplant patients should receive irradiated blood if transfusion is required.

A) Yes

B) No

Answer: B

Ideally, all blood transfusions should be avoided in any awaiting or solid organ transplant patients as far as possible to minimize the risk of allosensitization and rejection. If transfusion becomes necessary, order cytomegalovirus (CMV)-seronegative and/or filtered blood products instead of only leukocyte-reduced products, as CMV infection may occur even with only leukoreduced blood transfusion (reference #1). 

Blood product irradiation is not required.

#transfusion

#transplantation

References:

1. Obrador GT, Macdougall IC. Effect of red cell transfusions on future kidney transplantation. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2013; 8:852.

2. Nichols WG, Price TH, Gooley T, et al. Transfusion-transmitted cytomegalovirus infection after receipt of leukoreduced blood products. Blood 2003; 101:4195.

3. Triulzi DJ. Specialized transfusion support for solid organ transplantation. Curr Opin Hematol 2002; 9:527.