[Transfusion risks: importance of blood surveillance].

Transfusion risks result from the transfusion chain complexity and are due to human errors and limits of screening technics. Causes, mechanisms and manifestations of the main risks are mostly well known. Transfusion risks can be related to the donor, the blood donation or the transfusion act. The mechanisms are immediate or delayed. Environment can be a favorable factor. In France, rates of transfusion risks and the part of risk attributable to the environment are not known with accuracy because of the absence of a mandatory reporting system. The assessment of the existing prevention policies, essential for envisaging new actions, lacks rigour. The setting of means assessment and follow-up of transfusion safety as it was mentioned by the Comity of transfusion safety follow-up (L. Degos, A. Goudeau, R. Salamon) in november 1991, and in the law no. 93-5 of january 4, 1993 would allow the improvement of epidemiologic features of blood donation, blood use and transfusion risks.