Adverse reaction reporting and management
Most patients receiving blood products or components do not experience any adverse effects. Unfortunately, a small proportion of patients – up to about 1 in 100, may have an adverse effect. These are mostly mild reactions but occasionally they may have severe effects, either immediately or delayed and occurring during the next few hours or days. NZBS asks all health care professionals to report all adverse reactions so that data on the frequencies and types of reactions can be collected, collated and monitored. The data provides an early warning system for NZBS. It is used to assess the effectiveness of strategies designed to minimise or prevent adverse reactions. Information on adverse effects occurring in New Zealand is also provided to trainees and registered health care professionals so that they can give clear information to patients before transfusions and can monitor patients during and after transfusions.
Some types of adverse reactions may be related to only some blood products. Particular concern exists for detection of reactions to new or modified products. Reactions may sometimes occur with a higher incidence in recipients who have a particular clinical condition, or be more likely to occur as a result of the effects of another medicine or clinical treatment.
Guidelines and forms
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Transfusion-related Adverse Reaction Notification Form (111F009) (PDF, 144 KB)
This form is provided to health care professionals for notification of adverse reactions to all blood components and products. Pads of forms are available for Hospital Wards and other places where blood components and products are used. -
Guidelines for Management of Adverse Transfusion Reactions (111I015) (PDF, 59 KB)
These guidelines are recommendations to clinical staff for the management of adverse transfusion reactions. -
Notification of Suspected Adverse Reaction to a Fractionated Blood Product (111F003) (PDF, 195 KB)
Please use this form for reporting reactions to fractionated blood products. The process for doing so is described in the document below. Supplies of the form are available from all Blood Banks -
Managing Notification of Adverse Reactions to Fractionated Blood Products (111M003) (PDF, 65 KB)
This document describes the process to be followed when reporting reactions to fractionated blood products.
