Use of whole blood exchange transfusion to supply neutrophils to septic, neutropenic neonates.

When neutropenia due to exhaustion of the marrow neutrophil reserve, develops in a neonate with bacterial sepsis the likelihood of survival is very small. We report such a case who was treated with a double-volume exchange transfusion using fresh unstored whole blood. We were able to determine a net gain of 5 x 10(8) neutrophils per kg. Then, in neutropenic neonatal animals, neutrophil transfusion by double-volume exchange transfusion with unstored blood was investigated.