A blood transfusion is a medical procedure in which donated blood is added to the patient's to supplement various components of the blood. Patients may receive red blood cells, plasma or platelets dependent on the condition being treated. Patients receive blood transfusions for many reasons including anemia, liver failure, cancer and severe burns. Blood transfusions, like most medical procedures, carry risks and patients should discuss all possible risks before the procedure.
Allergic Reactions
The blood that a patient receives is screened to match the patient's blood type. However, it is still possible to suffer an allergic reaction to parts of the transfused blood. According to the MayoClinic.com, symptoms of an allergic reaction are often limited to red welts and itching, which physicians often treat with an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine. In rare cases, a severe allergic reaction may occur, causing low blood pressure, chills, anxiety, rapid heartbeat and nausea. In cases of severe allergic reaction, physicians will stop the transfusion.
Fever
Patients may experience a fever within 24 hours of receiving donated blood. The American Cancer Society explains that this fever is a response to the transfused white blood cells and is more common in people who have had previous transfusions or many pregnancies. In most cases, physicians treat the fever with acetaminophen until the fever subsides.
TRALI
A TRALI (transfusion-related acute lung injury) is a serious reaction to a blood transfusion that happens in about one out of every 5,000 transfusions, according to the American Cancer Society. The most common symptom is difficulty breathing. This reaction may occur with any type of transfusion but is most common in transfusions with a large plasma content such as fresh frozen plasma or platelet transfusion. A TRALI reaction will present most often within one to two hours of starting the transfusion but can happen at any time during the six hours after the transfusion. If a TRALI reaction is suspected, the transfusion must be stopped immediately.
Acute Immune Hemolytic Reaction
This is a rare but serious reaction seen in blood transfusions. It happens when patients receive blood that does not match their own. When a patient receives a transfusion of blood that does not match, antibodies begin to attack the transfused red blood cells and cause them to break open and release harmful substances into the bloodstream. Patients will often exhibit symptoms of chills, fever, chest and lower back pain and nausea. An acute immune hemolytic reaction may cause kidney damage and death in extreme cases.
Bacterial Contamination
In rare cases, tiny amounts of skin bacteria contaminate blood during the donation process. This occurs most commonly in platelets because they must be stored at room temperature, which allows bacteria to grow rapidly. The American Cancer Society warns that this bacterial contamination occurs in about one out of 1,000 to 3,000 units of platelets donated. Patients who receive contaminated blood will usually become seriously ill within minutes or hours after the start of the transfusion. In 2004, blood banks began to run tests on platelets before a transfusion, which has resulted in fewer cases of bacterial infections.
