ro13-9904 and Transfusion-Reaction

We report a case of transfusion-mediated Yersinia enterocolitica septicemia in a 43-y-old woman with homozygous beta-thalassemia. Two h after transfusion of 3 units of red blood cells the patient suffered high-grade fever and shaking chills. Y. enterocolitica serotype O3 grew in blood cultures. Prolonged treatment with i.v. ceftriaxone plus ciprofloxacin led to a favorable outcome. Transfusion-associated Y. enterocolitica septicemia has not previously been reported in an adult beta-thalassemic patient from the Mediterranean area. Our report is particularly important, because of the high incidence of chronically transfused thalassemic patients in Mediterranean countries.

Topics: Adult; Anti-Infective Agents; beta-Thalassemia; Ceftriaxone; Cephalosporins; Ciprofloxacin; Female; Humans; Transfusion Reaction; Treatment Outcome; Yersinia enterocolitica; Yersinia Infections