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Serious Hazards Of Transfusion

The UK SHOT program began in 1996. The evidence collected by SHOT has prompted changes in transfusion practice in the UK and contributed to the global improvement of quality and safety of care. Transfusion in the UK is very safe. The participation rate in SHOT by National Health Service organisations was 99.5% in 2013. 29 million components were issued in 2013 and very few deaths are related to transfusion. The estimated risks shown in the SHOT data are 1 in 322,580 components issued for death and 1 in 21,413 for major morbidity; the risk of transfusion-transmitted infection is much lower. Acute transfusion reactions and TACO carry the highest risk for morbidity and death. Despite the very useful information gained about transfusion reactions, the main risks remain human factors. The recommendations on reduction of errors through a 'back to basics' approach from the first annual SHOT report remain relevant today.[29],[61]