Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury A Clinical Challenge

Transfusion-related acute lung injury is a life-threatening clinical syndrome. In the last 3 years, it has become the leading cause of reported transfusion-related deaths in the United States. This syndrome is characterized by acute hypoxemia and noncardiogenic pulmonary edema directly linked in time to a blood transfusion. All types of blood products have been implicated in transfusion-related acute lung injury, but transfusion of plasma-containing products from multiparous women seems to carry the highest risk. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness of this syndrome for the critical care nurse. This article discusses the widely accepted clinical features of transfusion-related acute lung injury, its pathogenesis, differential diagnosis, and treatment.