Have you ever managed patients who have
experienced an adverse reaction to
transfusion?
A. Yes, often
B. Yes, occasionally
C. No
A. 1 in 30 units? SHOT collects
B. 1 in 100? reports on
C. 1 in 1000? moderate and
severe ATRs.
D. 1 in 10,000?
Incidence varies
according to
component type
Are all cases
reported?
3.5
3
2.5
Incidence per 2
10,000 units
issued 1.5 3.1
1
0.5 0.9 0.8
0
Red cells Platelets Plasma
components
An patient with myelodysplasia has a 2
unit red cell transfusion as a day case
History of complex red cell antibodies
With the second unit, she complains of
feeling unwell, with mild nausea and chills
Her temperature rises from 37.8 to 39 C,
BP and pulse both increase
The transfusion is stopped and symptoms
and signs improve within 30 minutes
A. A haemolytic transfusion reaction due to
complex red cell antibodies
B. A haemolytic reaction due to incorrect
component transfused
C. A febrile transfusion reaction
D. Bacterial contamination of the unit
BUT
Consider other causes
What clinical features suggest a patient is reacting
adversely to a transfusion?
Symptoms Signs
Fever, chills, rigors Change in
Dyspnoea, stridor temperature
Itch, rash, swelling of Hypoxia
lips Change in BP, pulse
Shock, collapse Raised venous
Nausea, general pressure, pulmonary
malaise signs
Pain Reduced urine output,
Feeling of impending change in urine colour
doom Change in conscious
level
What clinical features suggest a patient is reacting
adversely to a transfusion?
Symptoms Signs
Fever, chills, rigors Change in
Dyspnoea, stridor temperature
Itch, rash, swelling of Hypoxia
lips Raised BP, pulse
Shock, collapse Hypotension
Nausea, general Raised venous
malaise pressure, pulmonary
Pain signs
Feeling of impending Reduced urine output,
doom change in urine colour
Change in conscious
level
Recognise patient experiencing adverse
reaction
Stop transfusion, keep line open, retain
component
Airway, Breathing, Circulation and Bag,
Band, Blood
How severe is this reaction?
Minor-e.g. itch. Should you restart the
transfusion?
More serious. Do not restart the transfusion.
Establish most likely cause
Fever, chills and rigors during or soon after
transfusion: possible causes
Febrile non-haemolytic transfusion
reaction
Acute haemolytic reaction
Bacterial contamination
Underlying condition
Patient with haematuria being
transfused with platelets
20 minutes into transfusion:
2.2C rise in temperature, vomiting,
tachycardia, chest pain
Hypoxia
Rigors prevented BP measurement
Urine positive for haemoglobin but
patient has haematuria
Which investigations would you do?
A. Blood cultures of the patient, send
the platelet unit for culture
B. Repeat group and antibody screen
the patient
C. All the above
D. None of the above
A. Perform culture in hospital lab,
refer to blood service if positive
result
B. Contact nearest blood service to
discuss next steps
C. Perform culture locally but at the
same time inform blood service
A. Perform culture in hospital lab,
refer to blood service if positive
result
B. Contact nearest blood service to
discuss next steps
C. Perform culture locally but at the
same time inform blood service
With a severe febrile reaction such
as this, the most important step is
to contact the blood service
Any associated components can be
withdrawn from issue
Unit sampling and culture requires
expertise
Febrile reactions are more
commonly seen with red cell
transfusions
Febrile reactions are more commonly
seen with red cell transfusions
The incidence has been reduced since
universal leucodepletion
Less severe reactions can be treated with
paracetamol or anti-inflammatory
medication
In severe reactions the most important
differential diagnosis is transfusion-
transmitted infection although very
uncommon
No cases from
2010-2014
Patient with AML received a unit of
apheresis platelets
Developed chills, nausea and feeling
of impending doom
Recall: one other apheresis unit
Transfused to young male with ALL
Had also had symptoms
Patient with AML received a unit of
apheresis platelets
Developed chills, nausea and feeling of
impending doom
Recall: one other apheresis unit
Transfused to young male with ALL
Had moderate allergy-like symptoms
Packs sent to NBL
Both packs and donor showed Lancefield
group G streptococcus
Patient receiving red cell transfusion
felt unwell with temperature rise of
2.8C to 39.4C
Rigors
Increased respiratory rate
Tachycardia
O2 fell from 97% to 75%
A. Severe febrile transfusion reaction
B. Bacterial contamination
C. Severe haemolytic reaction
D. I don’t know!
Post-transfusion group not
interpretable
DAT positive
Patient was group O pos, unit was A
pos
Failure of two person bedside check
Both staff already competency
assessed
67 year old female with
myelodysplasia
Transfused 3 units as a day case
Felt ill on her journey home and
returned immediately to A and E
Had respiratory arrest
A. Transfusion Related Acute Lung
Injury (TRALI)
B. Allergic reaction
C. Transfusion Associated Circulatory
Overload (TACO)
D. Unrelated to transfusion
Chest X Ray appearances consistent
with left ventricular failure
Probable TACO
Patient made a full recovery with
treatment
Acute respiratory distress, tachycardia,
hypertension, acute or worsening
pulmonary oedema, evidence of positive
fluid balance
At least 4 of the above features
Occurring within 6 hours of transfusion
Tends to be seen in over 70s
Almost certainly under-reported
Recent series of 8/247 transfusions in this age
group (3%) Bartholomew and Watson, 2014
Age and gender distribution: national figures
Age and gender distribution: national figures
3% of all those
to the right of
the line!!
Teenage boy with history of liver disease
transfused with female apheresis platelets for
an elective surgical procedure
Developed hypoxia, hypotension and pyrexia
within 30 minutes of transfusion. Hb increased
from 8g/dl before procedure to 18 after
Required cardio-respiratory support on ITU
When ET tube inserted, developed fountain like
pulmonary oedema
A. TACO (Transfusion Associated
Circulatory Overload)
B. Chest infection
C. Acute myocardial infarction
D. TRALI (Transfusion-Related Acute
Lung Injury)
Serious complication of transfusion, almost
always with plasma rich components
Donor has antibody to recipient leucocytes
HLA or HNA
Reduced incidence
Universal leucodepletion
Male donors for FFP and the plasma used to
resuspend platelet pools
Female apheresis donors screened for HLA and HNA
antibodies
Dyspnoea, hypoxia (pyrexia) usually within 6
hours
Commoner in certain groups of patients-”two-hit”
hypothesis
9 cases in 2014-none
were FFP or platelets
TRALI TACO
Type of Usually plasma or Any
component platelets
BP Often reduced Often raised
Temperature Often raised Normal
Echo Normal Abnormal
Diuretics Worsen Improve
Fluid loading Improves Worsens
Patient with PPH received a unit of FFP
Previously, 3 units red cells and 1 FFP
transfused without problems
8 minutes into transfusion, she began to
cough and had swollen eyes, lips and
throat
Bronchospasm
Oxygen saturation dropped
Blood pressure unrecordable and briefly
lost consciousness
Responded well to treatment
What was the reaction likely to be?
A. TRALI
B. TACO
C. Moderate allergic reaction
D. Anaphylaxis
What was the reaction likely to be?
A. TRALI
B. TACO
C. Moderate allergic reaction
D. Anaphylaxis
What is the immediate management?
A. Call the haematologist
B. Hydrocortisone and antihistamine
C. Antihistamine only
D. Adrenaline
What is the immediate management?
A. Call the haematologist
B. Hydrocortisone and antihistamine
C. Antihistamine only
D. Adrenaline
Anaphylaxis is characterised by
rash and/or mucous membrane
involvement
followed rapidly by respiratory and/or
circulatory distress
A medical emergency
Treatment is adrenaline: IM unless
you are an anaesthetist or
intensivist
Although anaphylaxis is rare, patients
should only be transfused when and
where there is the ability to recognise
and manage a reaction
Cases of anaphylaxis reported to
SHOT since 2005
Management of patients who have
reacted before
A female patient with bone marrow
failure and epistaxis has regular
(appropriate) platelet transfusions
With last two transfusions, she
complained of itch
Now has urticaria
How can you avoid future reactions?
A. Give HLA matched platelets
B. Give antihistamine premed
C. Give washed platelets
D. Give apheresis platelets rather
than pooled
How can you avoid future reactions?
A. Give HLA matched platelets
B. Give antihistamine premed
C. Give washed platelets
D. Give apheresis platelets rather
than pooled
25% of women, and at least 10% of multitransfused male
patients have HLA antibodies
No evidence that reactions are reduced with HLA matched
platelets
Washed platelets do reduce reactions
IV Hydrocortisone takes 8 hours to act!!
Little evidence for antihistamine but if washed platelets do
not work, worth trying
No reduction in ATRs with apheresis platelets
Internal
External to SHOT and SABRE
o How well was the incident managed?
o Appropriately documented?
o Review investigations
o Is there a management plan for future
transfusions in this patient?
o Was the transfusion appropriate?
o Does the incident need to be reported
externally?
External reporting: the benefits of
SHOT reporting are:
o Learn about unexpected or undesirable
effects from transfusion
o Identifying trends in reactions and events,
including effects of new components
o Identifying areas for improvement
o Informing transfusion policy
External reporting: the benefits of
SHOT reporting are:
o Learn about unexpected or undesirable
effects from transfusion
o Identifying trends in reactions and events,
including effects of new components
o Identifying areas for improvement
o Informing transfusion policy
A new component in 2015:
plasma reduced platelets
