The transfusion of whole blood and its components had become part of the daily treatment of patients. The vast improvement of technics in blood collection and storage, combined with constantly increasing knowledge in the field of blood group immunology, has made it possible to operate blood transfusion service at a level of safety that may make the physician forget the harzards still present in connection with transfusion theraphy.
The author clinically observed 304 cases of whole blood transfusion in pediatrics. The total number of admitted patients in children´s ward of Severance Hospital under 15 years of age for 2 years and 9 months from 1971 to Sept 1973 were 5,654, and of whom 304 cases were reviewed. On this study operated cases, packed cell transfusion, plasma transfusion and exchange transfusion were excluded.
The following results were observed.
1) Sex incidence showed that males predominated in a proportion of 1.8 : 1.
2) Blood type were as follows: A(30.8%), B(29.2%), 0(28.6%), ABC11.8%).
3) According to age, infants below one year comprised 50% of all cases. over 10 year of age-were 11.2%.
4) Single unit transfusion were 211(69.5%) cases and 2 time of transfusion were 51(16.9%) cases. 11 cases were over 5 times of transfusion and so majority were single unit transfusion.
5) Among 304 cases, Hgb level below 5gm% were 53 (18.7%) cases, and 57gm% were 78 (25.6%). Over 9 gm% were 62 cases and whom most patients were very low age group combined with infectious disease or severe malnutrition.
6) The majority symptoms caused by anemia were pallor, weakness, anorexia and other symptooms were tachycardia, restless, dyspnes and headache. ~
7) The underlving diseases combined with anemia were acute infectious disease (91 cases), chronic infectious disease (38 cases). leukemia and tumors (48 cases), iron deficiency anemia associated with malnutrition (37 cases). blood dyscrasia (31 cases), acute blood loss (18 cases), and prematurity (15 cases).
8) 11 cases of side effects were noted, and which were febrile reaction W. urticaria (3), and petechia (2).
9) Fetal case was not observed.
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