Transfused cadaver kidney donors and graft survival.

A retrospective study of blood transfusion to the cadaveric kidney donor and graft survival in 129 primary transplantations between 1973 and 1981 in a single center is presented. Only transfusions given while the donor had the fatal disease were considered. Among 109 earlier transfused recipients graft survival calculated according to actuarial methods was significantly higher in 55 patients who received kidneys from transfused donors than in 54 patients who received kidneys from donors who had not been transfused (P less than 0.05). We conclude that transfusion to the cadaveric kidney donor positively affected graft survival in recipients who had been transfused.