Transfusion related acute lung injury-TRALI: a review

Acute pulmonary damage caused by transfusion is characterized by the sudden onset of respiratory distress in newly transfused patients within 6 hours after the transfusion, bilateral infiltrative changes in chest X-ray, PaO2/FIO2 <300 mmHg, absence of other risk factors for acute lung injury and absence of signs suggesting cardiogenic origin of pulmonary edema. Being one of the most serious complications of blood transfusion, plasma is the most involved factor, although all blood components can cause it, and is caused by antigen reactions/leukocyte antibody and lipid activity with ability to modify the biological response on primitive leukocytes. The diagnosis is based on the integration of clinical, radiological and gasometric elements, ruling out the rest of the possible causes of acute lung injury. Its differential diagnosis should include hemodynamic overload, anaphylactic reaction, bacterial contamination of transfused blood products and transfusion hemolytic reaction. The treatment is supportive measures based on the needs and does not differ from the treatment of acute lung injury secondary to other etiologies, severe cases require endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation while the non-severe can be managed with oxygen therapy.

Transfusion related acute lung injury: a case report

Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI) is one of the most serious complications of blood transfusion. All blood components have been implicated and most often those that contain plasma. The diagnosis is based fundamentally on the integration of clinical, radiological and gasometry elements, once the rest of the possible causes of acute lung injury have been ruled out. The differential diagnosis of a patient who develops a sudden pattern of respiratory failure after a transfusion of blood products must include hemodynamic overload, anaphylactic reaction, bacterial contamination of transfused blood products, haemolytic transfusion reaction and TRALI. Author presented the clinical case of a 33-year-old female patient with grade III hypovolemic shock due to a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, reanimated with crystalloid solutions, globular packages and fresh frozen plasma. The patient developed TRALI for what was managed with ventilatory and hemodynamic support in ICU.