Postnatal cytomegalovirus infection: a pilot comparative effectiveness study of transfusion safety using leukoreduced-only transfusion strategy

BACKGROUND The optimal mitigation strategy to prevent transfusion transmission of cytomegalovirus (TT‐CMV) in preterm very low birthweight infants remains debated. Hospitals caring for this patient population have varied practices. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS A prospective observational comparative effectiveness pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility for a larger study. The pilot was carried out at hospitals using a leukoreduction (LR)‐only transfusion strategy. Specimen and data collection for this study was performed in a similar approach to a study completed at Emory University that employed the CMV‐seronegative plus LR approach. All testing was performed at one laboratory. The rates of TT‐CMV using the two transfusion strategies were compared. RESULTS Zero incidence of TT‐CMV was detected in infants (n = 20) transfused with LR‐only blood (0/8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0‐25.3%) and is consistent with the previously reported zero incidence of TT‐CMV finding in a cohort of infants transfused with CMV‐negative plus LR blood (0/310; 95% CI, 0%‐0.9%). The seroprevalence rate among enrolled mothers (n = 17) was 60%. Forty percent of those infants (8/20) received 43 transfusions; five were transfused with one or more CMV‐seropositive blood components. One infant had tested positive for CMV before receiving blood transfusions; the infant's mother was CMV immunoglobulin (Ig)G positive and IgM negative. CONCLUSIONS Using the LR‐only transfusion approach, zero cases of TT‐CMV were detected in this pilot study. A larger study is needed to reliably determine the most effective strategy for prevention of TT‐CMV in this population.