Hemolytic Transfusion Reactions Causing Acute Renal Failure

An analysis of 41 hemolytic transfusion reactions resulting in acute renal failure is presented. Of the major ABO reactions, 95 per cent occurred in persons having type O blood. Laboratory errors included mistyping of type O blood in five instances and failure to detect sensitivity to a minor antigen in seven. Of the nonlaboratory errors, most were due to carelessness or failure to observe the basic rules of transfusion safety. On four occasions a double error resulted from misidentification of two patients having the same last name but different blood types.