Patients with a high risk for febrile transfusion reactions should receive which type of blood components?

Patients at high risk for febrile transfusion reactions are best suited to receive leukocyte-reduced components. This is because febrile transfusion reactions are often mediated by the recipient's immune response to white blood cells (leukocytes) present in the transfused blood products. By using leukocyte-reduced components, the majority of white blood cells are removed, significantly reducing the potential for these immunological reactions.

Leukocyte reduction is a standard practice designed to enhance the safety of transfusions, particularly for patients who have had previous transfusion reactions or are expected to receive multiple transfusions over time. This method does not compromise the quality or efficacy of the transfused blood products while minimizing the risk of complications like febrile reactions.

Other types of blood components like washed, hemodiluted, or frozen may not specifically target the leukocytes that are primarily responsible for febrile reactions. Washed components do remove most plasma proteins and can be useful for patients with allergic reactions but are not focused on leukocyte reduction. Hemodiluted components and frozen components do not address the leukocyte content and are not indicated for preventing febrile reactions. Therefore, leukocyte-reduced components remain the optimal choice for these patients.