Tuesday April 8, 2008
A brief reminder note on TRALI !!

Transfusion related acute lung injury (TRALI) is considered most important severe complication of blood transfusion probably still underdiagnosed and underreported. A lot of physicians are not aware of this and there have been several publications to inform the physicians during last 10 years or so. TRALI is defined as new acute lung injury occurring during or within 6 hrs after a transfusion, with a clear temporal relationship to the transfusion. Also, another important concept is that acute lung injury temporally associated with multiple transfusions can be TRALI, because each unit of blood or blood component can carry one or more of the possible causative agents: antileukocyte antibody, biologically active substances, and other yet unidentified agents. The treatment of TRALI is supportive, and the prognosis is generally better than for other causes of acute lung Injury. As many as one third of all patients who develop acute lung injury have been exposed to blood products. TRALI may be an important and potentially preventable cause of acute lung injury.

See excellent review Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury, Ognjen Gajic; S Breanndan Moore, Mayo Clinic Proceedings; Jun 2005; 80, 6; pg. 766


Previous related pearls:

TRALI

Need fresh frozen plasma but male-donor-only please !!



Reference: click to get abstract

1. Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury, J Intensive Care Med 2008; 23; 109