Two Cases of Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury.

Lee, Kyoung Ju; Kim, Hye Ok; Kim, Jung Ha; Ha, Eun Sil; Jung, Jin Yong; Lee, Seung Hyeun; Kim, Se Joong; Ju, Moon Kyung; Lee, Eun Joo; Kang, Eun Hae; Jung, Ki Hwan; Lee, Sung Yong; Lee, Sang Yeub; Kim, Je Hyeong; Shin, Chol; Shim, Jae Jeong; In, Kwang Ho; Kang, Kyung Ho; Yoo, Se Hwa

doi:2006.61.5.473

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 61(5); 2006 > Article

Case Report

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2006;61(5):473-478.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2006.61.5.473 Published online November 1, 2006.

Two Cases of Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury.

Kyoung Ju Lee, Hye Ok Kim, Jung Ha Kim, Eun Sil Ha, Jin Yong Jung, Seung Hyeun Lee, Se Joong Kim, Moon Kyung Ju, Eun Joo Lee, Eun Hae Kang, Ki Hwan Jung, Sung Yong Lee, Sang Yeub Lee, Je Hyeong Kim, Chol Shin, Jae Jeong Shim, Kwang Ho In, Kyung Ho Kang, Se Hwa Yoo

Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea. dreamnet@dreamwiz.com

Abstract

Transfusion related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a serious, potentially life-threatening complication of transfusion therapy that is sometimes under diagnosed and under reported. Patients with TRALI present with dyspnea/respiratory distress and fever. The symptoms, signs and chest radiological findings in TRALI are similar to transfusion associated circulatory overload, which makes it is difficult to distinguish it from circulatory overload. Although the mortality rate in cases of TRALI is relatively low, TRALI is the third most common cause of fatal transfusion reactions next to ABO blood type incompatibility and hepatitis. Mild-to-moderate cases of TRALI may be misdiagnosed as volume overload. Recently, we encountered two cases where the patients suffered from dyspnea and fever after a transfusion. and review of the relevant literature.

Key Words: Blood transfusion, Pulmonary reaction, Acute lung injury, TRALI