Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury

Abstract

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is related to the transfusion of blood components. Typically, it is a clinical syndrome, characterized by the sudden onset of dyspnea, hypoxemia and bilateral non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. A 83-year-old female patient with a history of AML developed TRALI after receiving 6 units of platelets. TRALI symptoms was started 10 min later the transfusion. AML is a risky group for TRALI. While giving transfusion to the risky groups of TRALI one must be more careful. The mortality rate caused by TRALI will decrease if the patient who is thought to have TRALI or who has bilateral pulmonary edema without any other reason showing the existance of TRALI is given ventilatory support at the right time.

Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury

“…Nowadays, the US Food and Drug Administration acknowledge the syndrome as the leading cause of transfusion-related mortality [3]. In the United States, the incidence of TRALI before 2007 is estimated at 1:4000 to 1:5000 units transfused (1 in 5000 units of packed RBC, 1 in 2000 plasma-containing components, and 1 in 400 units of whole-blood-derived platelet concentrates), though preventive measures may have reduced this incidence to 1:1200 by 2009 [4]. TRALI mortality has been estimated at 6%, considerable lower than the estimated mortality of other forms of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) [5].…”