CMV Negative Blood and Components

CMV negative blood and components are used to decrease the risk of transfusion-transmitted symptomatic CMV infection in recipients that are CMV naïve and profoundly immunocompromised.

CMV negative blood and components are available under the following different brand names: N/A
 

Please see specific component monograph (i.e., red blood cells, platelets, whole blood, or granulocytes) for dosing

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows:

CMV-Reduced-Risk

Please see specific component monograph (i.e., red blood cells, platelets, whole blood, or granulocytes) for dosing

Other Indications and Uses

• CMV-reduced-risk (e.g., CMV seronegative or leukocyte reduced cellular blood) products decrease the risk of transfusion-transmitted symptomatic CMV infection in recipients that are CMV naïve and profoundly immunocompromised
• Please check with your blood bank to discuss your institutions standard protocols for the use of CMV seronegative blood products
• The indications for choosing CMV seronegative products versus leukocyte reduced CMV unknown products are controversial and vary among institutions

At-risk recipients include

• Pregnant women and their fetuses (to prevent congenital CMV)
• Low birth weight infants
• Hematopoietic progenitor cell transplant recipients
• Solid-organ transplant recipients
• Severely immunosuppressed patients
• Congenital immunodeficiency patients, HIV-infected patients

Side effects of CMV negative blood and components include:

• Hemolytic transfusion reactions
• Febrile nonhemolytic reactions
• Allergic reactions ranging from hives to anaphylaxis
• Septic reactions
• Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI)
• Circulatory overload
• Transfusion-associated graft versus host disease
• Postransfusion purpura

This document does not contain all possible side effects and others may occur. Check with your physician for additional information about side effects.

If your doctor has directed you to use this medication, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider or pharmacist first.

• CMV negative blood and components have no listed severe interactions with other drugs.
• CMV negative blood and components have no listed serious interactions with other drugs.
• CMV negative blood and components have no listed moderate interactions with other drugs.
• CMV negative blood and components have no listed mild interactions with other drugs.
   

This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your physician if you have health questions or concerns.

Warnings
This medication contains CMV negative blood and components. Do not take CMV negative blood and components if you are allergic to CMV negative blood and components or any ingredients contained in this drug.

Keep out of reach of children. In case of overdose, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center immediately.

Contraindications

Please see component-specific contraindications

Effects of Drug Abuse
No information available

Short-Term Effects

See "What Are Side Effects Associated with Using CMV Negative Blood and Components?”

Long-Term Effects

See "What Are Side Effects Associated with Using CMV Negative Blood and Components?”

Cautions

• CMV seronegative blood products do NOT prevent all cases of symptomatic CMV infection; studies comparing the effectiveness of using CMV seronegative versus leukocyte reduced cellular products to reduce symptomatic CMV infection from transfusion have been an area of great debate over the last decade
• Overall both methods effectively decrease the risk of CMV transmission (greater than 90% risk reduction); although it would seem that providing products that are both leukocyte reduced and CMV seronegative would decrease the risk, even more, no documented data supports this approach and there are limited reports that would argue against this
• By adulthood, most individuals have been exposed to CMV and are thus CMV seropositive; up to 85% of the population is CMV seropositive by the age of 40 depending on geographic region; therefore, CMV seronegative units are often not available in large quantities and may not even be kept in stock at your institution
• Waiting for CMV seronegative components can cause significant delays in transfusion and leukocyte reduced components may need to be considered if transfusion is urgent and CMV seronegative components are not readily available
• All transfusions must be given via blood administration sets containing 170- to 260-micron filters or 20- to 40-micron micro aggregate filters even if the unit was previously leukocyte reduced via filtration
• Additional filtration is not needed when transfusion is given via a bedside leukocyte reduction filter
• No other medications or fluids other than normal saline should be simultaneously given through the same line without prior consultation with the medical director of the blood bank
• Monitor for signs of a transfusion reaction including vitals pre, during, and post-transfusion
• Please see the specific component monograph for full safety information
• Consult with blood bank medical director or hematologist if you have questions regarding special transfusion requirements

Pregnancy and Lactation

CMV negative or CMV reduced risk (leukocyte reduced) red blood cells should be used in pregnant women who are CMV negative or whose CMV status is unknown.

No information is available regarding the use of CMV negative blood and components while breastfeeding. Consult your doctor.

Consult with your blood bank medical director regarding your institution's policy for reducing CMV transmission in these populations.