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Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI)—an important, severe transfusion-related complication

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Abstract

Background

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is an immune-mediated transfusion reaction that can cause severe complications or even death. It is now the leading cause of transfusion-related death in the United States.

Methods

The TRALI syndrome is presented in two cases in a surgical intensive care unit and discussed against the background of the present literature. In both cases, concomitant diseases led to an extremely difficult course of TRALI.

Conclusions

Knowledge of the TRALI syndrome is necessary to enable early diagnosis and treatment. It should be taken into consideration at any time when cardiopulmonary instability occurs after transfusion of blood products, which is a frequent event on surgical Intensive Care Units. TRALI remains a clinical diagnosis supported by serologic studies if these are available. Against the background of this potentially life-threatening complication, every single indication to transfuse blood products needs to be scrutinized carefully.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the staff of the Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wuerzburg, who participated in the treatment of the reported patients. We also want to thank PD Dr. Med. J. Brederlau for critical review of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery I, Julius-Maximillians-University, Oberduerrbacher Strasse 6, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany

    Marco Bueter, Andreas Thalheimer, Christina von Erffa, Detlef Meyer & Martin Fein

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Julius-Maximillians-University, Oberduerrbacher Strasse 6, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany

    Frank Schuster

  3. Department of Transfusion Medicine, Julius-Maximillians-University, Oberduerrbacher Strasse 6, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany

    Markus Böck

Authors
  1. Marco Bueter
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  2. Andreas Thalheimer
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  3. Frank Schuster
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  4. Markus Böck
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  5. Christina von Erffa
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  6. Detlef Meyer
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  7. Martin Fein
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Correspondence to Marco Bueter.

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Bueter, M., Thalheimer, A., Schuster, F. et al. Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI)—an important, severe transfusion-related complication. Langenbecks Arch Surg 391, 489–494 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00423-006-0072-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00423-006-0072-2

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