It is extremely rare to experience any kind of side effect from a blood transfusion. The Immunohematologist (blood banker) who crossmatches your blood for a transfusion is highly skilled, trained and certified to match donor blood to recipient blood. If a side effect should occur, it likely be serious and action should be taken immediately.
Transfusion Related Lung Injury (TRALI)
TRALI is the acronym for Transfusion Related Lung Injury. It is a serious side effect that can result in death. Symptoms are shortness of breath, drop in blood pressure and fever. It is thought to be caused by a reaction to white cell fragments and certain antibodies that cannot be filtered out of the blood.
Transfusion Associated Circulatory Overload (TACO)
TACO is the acronym for Transfusion Associated Circulatory Overload. The effect is usually seen in elderly patients when transfusions actually overload the heart and circulatory system when the blood or plasma has been given too fast or too many units have been transfused. The symptoms are the same as for TRALI.
Hemolytic Transfusion Reaction
By far, the most serious side effect of a transfusion reaction would be a transfusion of incorrectly matched blood types. That type of transfusion almost always results in death or harm to the patient. Symptoms are immediate and include low back pain, fever, chills, shortness of breath, drop in blood pressure and blood in the urine. The procedure for transfusing blood begins with an infusion of 15 to 20 mls over 15 minutes and stop. The patient is then observed for 10 minutes to watch for signs of incompatible blood types. The transfusion is resumed after the watch time. Most, if not all, hemolytic transfusion reactions are due to clerical error, so it is important to verify the identity of the donor and recipient at all times.
Allergic Reaction
Allergic side effects, though rare, are more common than others. People are allergic to the anti-coagulant used to keep donor blood from clotting. Recipients can be allergic to the small fragments of white cells that cannot be filtered out of the donor unit. All of the symptoms of an allergy apply, such as wheezing, sneezing, hives, itching and swelling of the throat. An allergic reaction can progress to anaphylactic shock and death if not recognized and treated.
Febrile Reaction
High fever can occur if blood or blood products are contaminated with bacteria or viruses. Like an infection, the contamination travels throughout the body and can cause death. Blood bank products are produced in a sterile environment, so the febrile reaction is rare. Products are stored and monitored at proper temperatures to prevent bacterial growth. Viruses are inactivated by the anti-coagulants and cold storage temperatures. Donor blood always comes from volunteer donors that are carefully screened for any sign of infection or viruses. Today's blood supply is considered safe by federal regulations.
Helpful Side Effects
All side effects are not harmful. The main reason for a blood transfusion in the first place is to enable oxygen carrying molecules (red blood cells) to circulate throughout the body. Artificial blood has not been shown to be as effective as real human donor blood, so it is still used today. Blood is considered to be a regulated drug and must be prescribed by a medical doctor. The side effects he is looking for are pink, healthy-looking skin and gums, increased blood pressure and a patient that is alert and energized by oxygen transport.
