Blood transfusion errors revealed

AN error during a blood transfusion may have caused the death of an elderly patient, a report has revealed.

An investigation by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) also found 87 patients received incorrect blood components during transfusions last year.

Of the 87 cases of errors identified in the report, 41 had the potential to cause permanent injury. A further analysis revealed that 46 errors could have been detected and prevented during the final bed-checking procedure.