A case of mistaken MELD (model for end stage liver disease) score-How an acute hemolytic transfusion reaction falsely altered a patient's transplant status.

Background: An acute hemolytic transfusion reaction (AHTR) caused by intravascular hemolysis features a decrease in hemoglobin/hematocrit, reduced haptoglobin, and increases in creatinine, and bilirubin. Acute intravascular hemolysis carries its own morbidity and mortality, especially in the setting of a patient liver disease related pre-existing alterations in hemostasis. Additionally, AHTR significantly impacts the laboratory values used in calculating the Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score and thus liver transplant status.

The epidemiology of bacterial culture-positive and septic transfusion reactions at a large tertiary academic center: 2009 to 2016.

Background: Bacterial contamination and associated septic transfusion reactions (STRs) remain the leading infectious risk to the blood supply. We sought to characterize the risk and clinical presentation of blood culture-positive transfusion reactions (BCPTRs) and STRs at our institution.

Study Design And Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of all suspected transfusion reactions reported to the transfusion service at a 1000-bed tertiary academic medical center from January 2009 to September 2016.