Blood Transfusion Reactions More Likely in Alpha-Gal Syndrome Hotspots

A retrospective cohort study found that in U.S. regions with high prevalence of alpha-gal syndrome, type O blood recipients who received B or AB platelet or plasma units had nearly four times the risk of allergic transfusion reactions compared with those given O units. No such increased risk was seen in low-prevalence regions. The findings suggest a newly recognized risk called transfusion-related alpha-gal syndrome.