While cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections are usually asymptomatic, they can be life-threatening for neonates, transplant recipients, and other immunosuppressed patients receiving transfusions. Data on the best preventative measures to reduce transfusion-transmitted CMV are lacking. In order to gain a better understanding of preventive strategies used in various medical institutions, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Transfusion Medicine Participant Survey addressed this issue in 2015. Of the 3,032 medical institutions which participated in the survey, 2712 (90%) provided leukoreduced blood products universally; of the 320 remaining institutions 92% provided leukoreduced blood products based on clinical criteria. Furthermore, 83% of all institutions have CMV-seronegative products available with a wide variation in clinical use, and 5% provided CMV prophylaxis for high-risk patients. Additional clinical studies are needed to develop clinical practice guidelines to prevent transfusion-transmission of CMV.
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