transfusiereacties

Transfusiereacties are adverse events that can occur after a blood transfusion. They range in severity from mild and self-limiting to life-threatening. Understanding the causes and symptoms is crucial for prompt recognition and management.

The most common type is an acute hemolytic transfusion reaction, often caused by ABO incompatibility. This occurs when the recipient's antibodies attack the transfused red blood cells, leading to their destruction. Symptoms can include fever, chills, back pain, and hemoglobinuria (hemoglobin in the urine).

Allergic transfusion reactions are also frequent and are typically mediated by IgE antibodies. These can manifest as hives, itching, or more severe anaphylaxis. Febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reactions are characterized by fever and chills, usually due to antibodies against donor white blood cells or cytokines released from stored blood.

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a serious complication where antibodies in the donor's plasma attack the recipient's white blood cells in the lungs, causing pulmonary edema. Symptoms include sudden onset of shortness of breath and hypoxia. Delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions can occur days to weeks after transfusion, caused by an anamnestic antibody response.

Other reactions include transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO), which occurs when the volume of transfused blood exceeds the patient's circulatory capacity, and infectious disease transmission, though this risk has been significantly reduced with modern screening methods. Management strategies depend on the specific reaction but often involve stopping the transfusion, supportive care, and administration of specific treatments.