Blood Transfusion Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Blood Transfusion, including details on blood donation, blood types, leukemia.

Understanding the consequences of transfusion-related acute lung injury.

Shander A, Popovsky MA

Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, New Jersey Institute for the Advancement of Bloodless Medicine and Surgery, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, 350 Engle Street, Englewood, NJ 07631, USA. aryeh.shander@ehmc.com

Although the blood supply has become safer with regard to transmission of infectious agents, attention should continue to focus on understanding and eliminating the other serious risks associated with transfusion. Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is one such risk, only recently becoming recognized as an important and potentially preventable clinical syndrome. Strategies for prevention of TRALI, however, must rely on knowledge regarding its etiology and diagnosis, and significant gaps in our understanding of the syndrome currently exist. This review summarizes what is known and unknown about the incidence, severity, etiology, diagnosis, and prevention of TRALI and the potential consequences of these knowledge gaps.

Published 24 November 2005 in Chest, 128(5): 598S-604S.
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