Curriculum · Hematology
Irradiated blood components
What it is
Irradiation is one of the modifications made to a cellular blood product before it is given. Irradiated blood components are used to prevent transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease, TA-GVHD.
What it does is one thing: the T lymphocytes in the product are rendered unable to replicate. That prevents donor cell engraftment in severely immunosuppressed transfusion recipients, and with it the graft-versus-host disease.
It helps to hold the three modifications apart, since one will not do the work of another:
- Irradiation: T lymphocytes unable to replicate; prevents donor cell engraftment and transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease
- Leukoreduction: decreases white blood cells in cellular blood products; reduces the risks of FNHTRs, human leukocyte antigen alloimmunization, and transfusion-associated CMV
- Washing: removes and replaces the acellular fluid in cellular blood products; reduces the risks of FNHTRs, ATRs, cell-free hemoglobin and hyperkalemia