Public Health Agency of Canada Levels of Certainty for a Transfusion Reaction (PHAC)

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) classifies an adverse event that may be transfusion-related based on timing and objective evidence.

Patient selection: adverse event

Parameters:

(1) timing of event relative to that of the blood product administration

(2) clinical and laboratory findings

Time Frame	Findings	Interpretation
consistent with blood administration	diagnostic for blood-related adverse event	definite
consistent with blood administration	not diagnostic for blood but no alternative explanation	probable
consistent with blood administration	not diagnostic for blood, could be explained by alternative diagnosis (disease, drug, etc)	possible
consistent with blood administration	evidence suggests a cause other than blood administration	doubtful
inconsistent	NA	excluded
consistent with blood administration	proven to be unrelated to blood administration	excluded
NA	pending	not determined

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