The hypothesis of a retrospective study carried out at the University of Southern California (University of Southern California, California, United States) was the assertion that the introduction of AB0 compatible plasma can lead to poor results by compared to plasma transfusions identical to AB0.

During the study for the period from 2000 to 2008. all the patients who needed a plasma transfusion were identified. The main outcomes evaluated during the study were mortality and complications (adult acute respiratory distress syndrome - RDSV, sepsis, kidney failure and liver failure).

A total of 284 patients who received non-identical AB0 compatible plasma were compared to patients who received only identical AB0 plasma (230 patients received group I plasma (0αβ), 39 patients received group plasma II (Aβ) and 15 patients received group III (Bα) plasma. Transfusions of AB0 compatible plasma did not affect mortality (35.2% vs 33.5%, p = 0.66). However, when transferring AB0 compatible plasma, complications were significantly more often observed compared to the use of identical AB0 plasma (the total frequency of all complications was 53.5% vs 40.5%, p = 0.002). RDSV and sepsis were also recorded statistically significantly more often in the group of patients who received AB0 compatible plasma (19.4% vs 9.2%, p = 0.001 and 38.0% vs 28.9%, p = 0.02, respectively). With an increase in the quantity of AB0 compatible plasma transfused, the incidence of complications also increased in direct proportion to reach 70% in patients who received more than 6 ED plasma *. Patients who received more than 6 units of AB0-compatible plasma also showed a 4-fold increase in the incidence of RDSV. Recipients of all plasma groups with increased transfusion volume have shown an increased risk of developing all types of complications, ARDS and sepsis. This increase was statistically significant for recipients of blood group I - this category of patients had an increased risk of complications in general and ARDS in particular (50.9% vs 40.0%, p = 0.03 and 17.4% vs 7.8%, p less than 0.001, respectively).

Thus, the use of a non-identical AB0 compatible plasma leads to an increase in the frequency of all complications, but in particular of acute respiratory distress syndrome in adults and sepsis, and the frequency of complications is directly proportional to the amount of compatible plasma transfused AV0.