The advent of leukocyte filters has enabled effective removal of leukocytes from certain blood products thus avoiding many adverse effects of blood transfusion. Many different materials have been incorporated into these filters to achieve >95% leukocyte removal. In this study we evaluated the efficacy of leukocyte removal of two different filters, using actual bedside transfusion settings involving patients with transfusion dependent thalassaemia. Fifty-one transfusion events were randomised to use either a polyurethane filter or a non-woven polyester filter. We found that the two filters achieved 98.4% and 96.2% leukocyte removal respectively (p = 0.022). We also found no significant correlation between pre-filtration white blood cell count and the volume transfused with the efficacy of leukodepletion. No untoward events or transfusion reactions were observed during the study.
A 27-year-old Indian woman at 23 weeks' gestation presented with decompensated liver cirrhosis, coagulopathy, restrictive lung disease with cor pulmonale and preeclampsia. She was diagnosed to have sea-blue histiocyte syndrome (SBHS) at the age of 13 years and was treated conservatively. There was worsening liver, respiratory and bone marrow function as the pregnancy progressed. She underwent a successful pregnancy despite her poor medical condition and advanced disease state. We described the first case of familial SBHS in a pregnant patient from Asia.