Specific Blood Component Requirements
Some clinical conditions and treatments require blood components of a particular specification.
This is an overview of when specific blood components are considered. For further information
refer to the British Society for Haematology (BSH) guidelines.
Specific Blood Patient Group / Treatment
Cytomegalovirus Negative
(CMV Negative)
Applies to
Red cells and Platelets
QR - BSH 2016
Guidelines on
transfusions for
fetuses, neonates
& older children
• Pregnant women up to and not including labour
• Babies up to 6 months - (BSH 2016)
• Exchange transfusions
• Intrauterine transfusion
Irradiated
Applies to
Red cells and Platelets
In Northern Ireland all platelets are
irradiated
To prevent transfusion associated
Graft versus Host Disease
QR for British Society for
Haematology (BSH) 2020 Guidelines
on use of irradiated blood
components
Foetal / neonatal
• Intrauterine transfusions (IUT)
• Neonatal top up transfusions only if there has been a previous IUT, in which case
irradiated components should be administered until 6 months after the expected
delivery date (40 weeks gestation)
• Exchange blood transfusions
• Severe congenital T lymphocyte immunodeficiency syndromes with significant
T lymphocyte deficiency, and suspected T lymphocyte immunodeficiency while
further investigations are ongoing
Haematology conditions:
• Hodgkin Lymphoma - indefinitely
• Aplastic anaemia patients receiving anti thymocyte globulin / alemutuzumab
• Drugs - (refer to guidelines or QR code, British National Formulary BNF),
Fludarabine, cladribine, pentostatin, bendamustine, clofarabine
• Alemutuzumab for haematological conditions
• Allogeneic blood transfused to bone marrow / stem cell donors 7days prior to
or during the harvest of bone marrow / stem cells should be irradiated
• Patients receiving Allogeneic haemopoietic stem cells should receive irradiated
blood from the start of conditioning chemo/radiotherapy and until at least 6
months post transplant, and if continuing to receive immunosuppression (graftversus-host disease prophylaxis),
if chronic graft-versus host-disease is present,
or if the lymphocyte count remains below 1.0 x 109 / L. Irradiated blood may be
required indefinitely pending previous disease (Hodgkins Lymphoma) or purine
drug treatment
• Patients undergoing autologous bone marrow/stem cell transplantation
should receive irradiated blood 7 days prior to and during bone marrow/ stem cell
harvest, and from start of conditioning chemo/ radiotherapy until 3 months posttransplant (6 months if total body irradiation was used) unless disease or previous
treatment indicate indefinite duration
• Patients undergoing full body irradiation
• Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. Patients should receive irradiated
cellular blood components for 7 days prior to and during the peripheral blood
lymphocyte harvest. Irradiated blood components should be continued for 3
months post- CAR-T infusion unless other reason (e.g. previous diagnosis of
Hodgkin Lymphoma or previous treatment) when irradiated blood is required
indefinitely)
• Patients receiving Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA) selected components
• Blood components from 1st or 2nd degree relatives
Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA)
Matched Blood
Applies to Red cells, Platelets
• Patients on the renal transplant list
• Patients who are a potential renal transplant candidate
• Platelet Refractoriness, as per Clinician.
AIDE MEMOIRE - SPECIFIC BLOOD REQUIREMENTS HAEMOVIGILANCE NOV 2023 V1.3 REVIEW 2025