[Blood transfusion surveillance: organization and results]

Created by law in 1994, haemovigilance is a national system of surveillance and alarm, from blood collection to the follow up of the recipients, gathering and analysing all untoward effects of blood transfusion in order to correct their cause and prevent recurrence. Three levels compose the haemovigilance network: local, regional and national. The incident reporting is mandatory and this rate is stable with 2.9 to 3 incidents per 1000 blood components transfused. The transfusion incident due to bacterial contamination and ABO incompatibility worry the medical community. Haemovigilance contributes to transfusion safety. It makes possible to recognise risks already known, to be on alert for emergent risks, to undertake preventive actions on critical steps of the transfusion chain, and to warrant follow up of safety measures efficiency.