Assessment of transfusion practices in pediatrics: A case report

Abstract

Introduction: Pediatric patients should not be exposed to blood components and products unnecessarily. Transfusion-related risks are always present, both those we know and those that remain to be discovered. It is essential to follow good transfusion practice (GTP) procedures; although they can sometimes be quite prescriptive, evidence shows that when we ignore guidelines, errors can occur. Case Report: We report the case of a 7-month-old infant who underwent surgery for megacolon and received emergency transfusions. The death of the infant post-surgery prompted a hemovigilance investigation to determine the imputability of the transfusion. Conclusion: The investigation revealed deficiencies in the patient’s transfusion management, some of which were critical. This indicates that nurses have a considerable knowledge deficit in blood transfusion; however, the infant’s death was not attributable to transfusion and was due to post-surgical complications.