A girl with Thalassemia major reacted to a transfusion of packed red blood cells with increasing respiratory distress until death 12 1/2 hours later. Chills and fever were followed by dry cough, dyspnea, and pulmonary edema. The recipient had lymphocytotoxic antibodies specific for donor leukocyte antigens HL-A11 and possibly W14. At autopsy, the lungs showed pulmonary edema with extensive nonspecific acute alveolar injury. Similar cases in the literature are reviewed.

S. liquefaciens is an increasingly recognized cause of transfusion-related sepsis and is associated with a high mortality rate. S. liquefaciens can contaminate both RBCs and platelets, but the mechanism(s) of contamination remain unknown. Increased attention to pretransfusion visual inspection may avert the transfusion of some S. liquefaciens-contaminated RBC units. However, more sensitive rapid diagnostic tests are needed to further reduce the risk of transfusion-related sepsis and endotoxic shock.