A centralized recipient database enhances the serologic safety of RBC transfusions for patients with sickle cell disease.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the utility of a centralized transfusion service model in preventing the transfusion of incompatible units in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).

METHODS

The serologic records of transfused patients with SCD were reviewed. The index hospital was where an alloantibody was initially detected.

RESULTS

In total, 150 patients with SCD were evaluated; 66 (44.0%) of 150 were alloimmunized. In 42 (63.6%) of these patients, 1 or more antibodies evanesced. The median number of hospitals visited by patients with SCD for RBC transfusion with 1 or more evanesced antibodies was three (range, one to eight); the median number of nonindex hospitals was two (range, one to seven). Of the patients with evanesced antibodies, 28.6% received transfusions at various nonindex hospitals 20 or more times after the antibody evanesced.

CONCLUSIONS

A centralized database can help identify patients with SCD who have evanesced alloantibodies and prevent issuing incompatible RBC units.