Survival of blood transfusion recipients identified by a look-back investigation

Survival of blood transfusion recipients is a critical consideration in assessing the outcomes of transfusion. Data from the USA on the short- and long-term survival of recipients are limited.

Blood product recipients were identified through a look-back study of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Survival data were obtained from searches of the National Death Index or the Social Security Death Master File. Short- and long-term survival of recipients was analysed through descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and stratified Cox proportional hazard modelling.

This study includes data from 575 blood product recipients. One half of the recipients died within the first year of transfusion and the median time to death was 1.1 years. Survival rates at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years after transfusion were 32%, 22%, 15%, 12%, and 9%, respectively. Survival rates varied with age at transfusion and type of component received, but not by gender. Survival after transfusion varied by year of transfusion, with recipients transfused in 1980-1989 having longer post-transfusion survival than those transfused in 2000-2010 (p=0.049). In multivariate models, the type of component transfused, but not the year of transfusion, was a significant predictor of survival among recipients; this effect varied by age.

We provide an estimate of survival time from a geographically diverse sample of blood product recipients in the USA. Predictors of post-transfusion survival are numerous and complex, and may include year of transfusion and type of component transfused.