Post-Transfusion Hepatitis — Effect of Modified Gamma Globulin Added to Blood in Vitro

A significant reduction in the incidence of post-transfusion hepatitis with jaundice was observed in patients receiving modified gamma globulin added to blood before transfusion as compared with controls receiving blood alone. Standard gamma globulin was modified by the Swiss method (hydrolysis); 10 ml of a 6 per cent solution were added to each unit of blood before transfusion. Five of 1970 patients receiving gamma globulin and 18 of 2019 controls receiving blood without added gamma globulin acquired icteric hepatitis (p equal to 0.014). No severe cases were observed in those receiving gamma globulin. Six severe cases with two deaths occurred in the controls. The incidence of anicteric hepatitis in the two groups was not significantly different. No untoward reactions were related to the intravenous use of modified gamma globulin.