KEY POINTS

1. The three most common causes of transfusion-induced death are bacterial contamination, transfusion-related acute lung injury, and mistransfusion (i.e., ABO mismatch).
2. Although the overall condition of the patient is of prime importance, a transfusion trigger of a hemoglobin level of 8 g/dL or less can be tolerated by patients who are not critically ill or do not have severe cardiorespiratory disease.
3. Because of storage at room temperature, platelets are the blood component most frequently contaminated with bacteria.
4. Transfusion-transmitted hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus are rare. West Nile virus infection is a rapidly emerging problem.
5. Like many countries in Europe and Canada, leukoreduction of blood products is becoming universal in the United States.
6. Human and bovine modified hemoglobin products are undergoing clinical trials as synthetic blood or oxygen carriers, similar to allogeneic blood.