Frequency and Causes of ABO-Incompatible Transfusion of Red Blood Cells

The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI), together with the French Blood Establishment (Établissement français du sang, EFS) and the Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT), United Kingdom (UK), conducted a study on ABO-incompatible transfusions of red blood cells. The aim of the study was to determine the frequency and causes of incorrect transfusions in France, the United Kingdom and Germany between 2013 and 2022 and to compare the effectiveness of the existing safety measures in these countries. Preventing incorrect transfusions requires accurate donor and patient identification. In France and Germany, a bedside identity check and an ABO compatibility test are carried out. In the United Kingdom, an identity check is carried out, often in the form of a bedside checklist, with or without electronic patient identification.

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Incorrect transfusions can have serious and potentially fatal consequences for patients, as shown by haemovigilance data from various countries worldwide. Preventing incorrect transfusions requires a guarantee of accurate donor and patient identification throughout the entire transfusion process by means of visual inspections and/or electronic patient identification. These measures include a confirmatory blood group test, reliable and safe donor-to-recipient workflows, an electronic and/or serological comparison of the red blood cell units, a verification of the patient's identity, bedside ABO compatibility tests, as well as the training and education of the medical staff involved in each step of the transfusion process.

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