Transfusion and hemovigilance in pediatrics.

Hemovigilance is an essential part of the transfusion process and is defined as surveillance procedures covering the whole transfusion chain, from collection of blood and its components, intended to collect and assess information on unexpected or undesirable effects resulting from the therapeutic use of labile blood products and to prevent their occurrence or recurrence. The UK surveillance scheme has collected data for 16 years and is a model demonstrating how information on adverse incidents can be used to improve patient safety, influencing the management of donors and improved education and training for the many people involved in the transfusion process.