Network to Track Adverse Transfusions

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a national surveillance system to monitor adverse events in patients who receive blood transfusions.

The Hemovigilance Module is a new component of CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network that enables the collection, tracking and analysis of data about healthcare-associated infections. CDC developed the Hemovigilance Module with AABB, formerly the American Association of Blood Banks, in Bethesda, Md.

Hospitals, through the Internet-based module, will confidentially submit data on adverse transfusion events to CDC, according to the agency. Hospitals that do so will have access to standardized data analysis tools, which among other functions will enable them to see how their data compare with other hospitals.

CDC is offering the module, training and user support at no cost. More information is available at cdc.gov/nhsn/index.html.

--Joseph Goedert