Study Identifies New Transfusion Risk for Alpha-Gal Syndrome Patients

A new multi-institute study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, indicates that tick-borne alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) may complicate safe blood plasma or platelet transfusions for certain patients, identifying transfusion-related alpha-gal syndrome (TRAGS). This finding has prompted Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center to modify transfusion protocols in high-prevalence AGS regions, specifically by avoiding B or AB platelet transfusions to O patients, to prevent potential patient injury.