A study of the routine use of the Imugard IG500 Leukocyte Removal Filter illustrating a possible cause of transfusion reactions and a method of prevention.

The results of the use of the Imugard IG500 Leukocyte Removal Filter in the transfusion of 100 patients requiring leucocyte poor blood are presented. The patients were suffering from a variety of disorders. Many of them had previously received leucocyte poor blood prepared by other methods. Five patients developed non-haemolytic transfusion reactions. Subsequent investigations suggested that these were reactions to the plasma proteins present in the leucocyte poor blood prepared by filtration. A simple method of removal of these plasma proteins combined with filtration is described. The resultant product has been transfused, without incident, into the patients who previously reacted.