Plasma is widely administered to horses and foals for a variety of reasons, such as a critical illness, failure of passive transfer in foals, or prophylaxis against Rhodococcus equi.

Researchers from Michigan State University recently examined the transfusion reactions to plasma, both mild and severe, that can and occasionally do occur in horses.

"Transfusion reactions can vary from a mild urticaria (hives) to severe anaphylaxis and potentially death," explained Eilidh Wilson, BVMS, Dipl. ACVIM, from Michigan State University’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences.

To better document the incidence of reactions to frozen plasma, Wilson and colleagues reviewed the medical records from 50 adult horses that received a plasma transfusion in 2006 and 2007. The plasma used to transfuse hospitalized horses was obtained from the University’s hospital donor horses. It was maintained at -20� C until time of transfusion