Inactivation photochimique des pathogènes des plaquettes et du plasma : cinq ans d’utilisation clinique de routine et d’hémovigilance. Vers un changement de paradigme de la sécurité en transfusion

Cazenave, J.-P.

The transfusion of labile blood products is vital and essential for patients in absence of alternative treatment. Patients and doctors have always feared transfusion-transmitted infections by blood, blood components and blood-derived drugs. Photochemical inactivation of platelet concentrates and plasma, using a technique associating amotosalen and UVA, has been used for five years in a French region for the whole population and a large spectrum of patients, with efficacy and safety. It would seem wise to introduce labile blood products, submitted to pathogen inactivation by a technique already approved by a regulatory agency and not to wait for a perfect system including red blood cells concentrates. Universal implementation of pathogen inactivation in labile blood products is a major and key step to improve safety against infection in transfusion.