DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2017.v05i02.005

Pages: 114-117

Leukocyte contamination during blood transfusion can cause many adverse effects, such as the transmission of cell-associated infectious agents, febrile non-haemolytic reactions, graft-versus-host disease, and immunosuppression. Leukodepleted blood components can minimise most of these adverse effects but the leukodepletion of all cellular blood components is costly. So as to prevent monetary burden to the patient, alternative would be to supply leukodepleted blood components only to the patients at risk . This study included 3,145 units collected by voluntary and replacement donors and subjected to leukoreduction by using leukoreduction filters in the laboratory of the blood bank. Total leukocyte count prior to the procedure and after the procedure was done by using automated cell counter.In this study , it was found that 99.99 % of leukocytes were reduced by using these leukodepletion filters.