CONTRIBUTION OF HAEMOVIGILANCE TO IMMUNOLOGICAL SAFETY OF BLOOD-TRANSFUSIONS - ASSESSMENT AFTER 3 YEARS

The haemovigilance system has indirectly introduced three types of inf ormation: a more precise tally of accidents and risks (even if the tot al number of events remains difficult to assess); an evolution of the mode of collecting relevant information (even if, after 3 years, it ha s become important to define new objectives and collection procedures) ; the identification of the main causes of errors leading to immunolog ical accidents allowing the elaboration of schemes pointing out the po ssible failures and critical points of the various processes, such as blood bag distribution, ABO control at bedside, the prescription of ex aminations prior to transfusion. The analysis of haemovigilance data h as induced a number of important consequences, particularly clinical p ractitioners' awareness of blood transfusion risks; elaboration of rel iable and documented tools for the training of professionals and the i nformation of patients; implementation of corrective and preventive me asures, particularly to reduce accidents due to ABO incompatibility. T hese haemovigilance data will provide more fruitful results when cross -analysed with data from the reactovigilance system which is being set up. Until then, they will largely be used to elaborate blood transfus ion quality assurance standards. (C) 1998 Elsevier, Paris.