Implementing inpatient, evidence-based, antihistamine-transfusion premedication guidelines at a single academic US hospital.

Allergic transfusion reactions (ATRs) are a common complication of blood transfusions. Advances in transfusion medicine have significantly decreased the incidence of ATRs; however, ATRs continue to be burdensome for patients and problematic for providers who regularly order packed red blood cells and platelet transfusions. To further decrease the frequency of ATRs, routine premedication with diphenhydramine is common practice and is part of "transfusion culture" in a majority of institutions.

A retrospective review of the frequency and nature of acute hypersensitivity reactions at a medium-sized infusion center: comparison to reported values and inconsistencies found in literature.

Purpose: To evaluate acute hypersensitivity reactions at the UCSD Moores Cancer Center in San Diego, compare our findings to those reported previously in the literature, and examine the effectiveness of the objective grading scale as represented by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE).

Patients And Methods: Using the available pharmacy and electronic medical record data from 2006-2010, we examined our reported hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) using the CTCAE v.3.