Transfusion errors: scope of the problem, consequences, and solutions.

For more than 25 years, ABO transfusion errors in the United States have caused more noninfectious transfusion deaths each year than any other cause. The US ABO error rate is between 1:12,000 and 1:19,000, with a fatality rate between 1:800,000 and 1:1.3 million. In the past 15 years, international research has increased to determine the frequency and nature of the slips and mistakes that result in transfusion errors and possible solutions to reduce them. Solutions include changes in human processes, introducing technologic improvements, and involving professional societies to create national or international performance standards to serve as benchmarks for comparison.