According to the Merck page on
Complications of Transfusion page, the most common complication is acute hemolytic transfusion reaction which is due most commonly to ABO incompatibility (usually from mislabeling or failure to match). About 20 people die from it in the US per year.
Acute lung injury is the second leading cause of death but total incidence is only 1:5,000 to 1:10,000 and most of those cases are mild. Basically, it's another antigen-related problem where antibodies in the donor affect cells in the lungs of the recipient.
According to eMedicine's
Transfusion Reactions:
United States
Hemolytic transfusion reactions occur in 1 per 40,000 transfused units of packed RBCs.
Nonhemolytic febrile reactions and minor allergic reactions are the most common transfusion reactions, each occurring in 3-4% of all transfusions.
Nonhemolytic febrile reactions and extravascular hemolysis are observed more commonly in patients who have developed antibodies from prior transfusions.
Anaphylactic reactions occur in 1 per 20,000 transfused units.
Due to improved preventative measures, the incidence of GVH disease is less than 0.15%
Transfusion-related acute lung injury complicates 0.1-0.2% of all transfusions.
Risk of transfusion-related hepatitis B is 1 per 50,000 units transfused. Risk for hepatitis C is 1 per 3000-4000 units transfused.
Risk of transfusion-related HIV infection is 1 per 150,000 units transfused.
That said, you can't force anybody to do anything. All you can do is provide a better example than what they have and hope that they'll figure it out.
Rrhain
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