LONG-TERM SURVIVAL OF TRANSFUSED PATIENTS AT A SINGLE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Long-term survival of transfused patients was studied at a single institution. This study, to our knowledge the first such report in Japan, compared long-term survival before (Group 1: 1986-1987, 1, 781 patients) and after implementation (Group 2:1992-1993 1, 326 patients) of HCV antibody screening. Unexpectedly, post-transfusion survival rate by Kaplan-Meier analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups. Female-s had a greater survival rate than male-s in both group 1 (1-year survival; male 74.1%, female 79.9%; p<0.05) and group 2 (1 year survival; male 73.7%, female 82.9%; p<0.01). There was no difference in survival between those aged 65 or more and under 65. Internal medicine patient-s had markedly lower survival than surgical patient-s (Group 2, 1-year survival; internal medicine group 58.2%, surgical patient group 84.3%; p<0.001). Transfused patients had a very high risk of death, with almost 1/4 of all patients dying within 1 year after the first transfusion.