Cause: Fever and chills during transfusion are thought to be
caused by recipient antibodies reacting with white cell antigens or white cell fragments in the blood product
or due to cytokines which accumulate in the blood product during storage.
What are the types of blood transfusion reactions?
- Acute hemolytic reactions. …
- Simple allergic reactions. …
- Anaphylactic reactions. …
- Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). …
- Delayed hemolytic reactions. …
- Transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO). …
- Febrile non-hemolytic reactions. …
- Septic (bacteria contamination) reactions.
What is a febrile transfusion reaction?
Nonhemolytic febrile transfusion reactions are usually
caused by cytokines from leukocytes in transfused red cell or platelet components
, causing fever, chills, or rigors. In the transfusion setting, a fever is defined as a temperature elevation of 1o C or 2o F.
What is the most common transfusion reaction?
Febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reactions
are the most common reaction reported after a transfusion. FNHTR is characterized by fever or chills in the absence of hemolysis (breakdown of red blood cells) occurring in the patient during or up to 4 hours after a transfusion.
How are febrile reactions treated?
In febrile, nonhemolytic reactions, fever usually resolves in 15-30 minutes without specific treatment. If fever causes discomfort,
oral acetaminophen
(325-500 mg) may be administered. Avoid aspirin because of its prolonged adverse effect on platelet function.
How do you prevent a febrile transfusion reaction?
Possible interventions include
prestorage leukoreduction, plasma removal from the platelet product before transfusion
, and reduction of the platelet storage period to 3 days. Clinical studies to identify the most effective approach for preventing febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions have not yet been reported.
How do you prevent a febrile Nonhemolytic transfusion reaction?
The best way to prevent severe febrile reactions is to
use prestorage leukocyte reduced red blood cells and apheresis platelets
. If a patient continues to have febrile reactions to leukocyte reduced single donor platelets, it may be helpful to remove plasma from the platelet unit immediately prior to transfusion.
How long does blood from a transfusion stay in your body?
| Type of transfusion Timing | Red cells For many people, this takes 90–120 minutes per unit . But for a severe hemorrhage, it may be possible and necessary to give each unit in 5–10 minutes. | Platelets This transfusion usually takes 30–60 minutes per unit. |
|---|
How long after a blood transfusion can a reaction occur?
Reactions can occur
between 1 day and 4 weeks after the transfusion
. A person can acquire these antibodies through previous pregnancies or transfusions.
What are the signs of a transfusion reaction?
- Back pain.
- Bloody urine.
- Chills.
- Fainting or dizziness.
- Fever.
- Flank pain.
- Flushing of the skin.
Can the body reject a blood transfusion?
Blood transfusions may be rejected by the recipient
, resulting in a transfusion reaction, but such cases are relatively rare. In order to comprehend how this can happen, it is necessary to understand some basic immunology. There are two basic types of immune responses: humoral, or antibody-mediated, and cellular.
What can go wrong with a blood transfusion?
Risks. Blood transfusions are generally considered safe, but there is some risk of complications. Mild complications and rarely severe ones can occur during the transfusion or several days or more after. More common reactions include
allergic reactions
, which might cause hives and itching, and fever.
What should you do if someone has a reaction to a blood transfusion?
- Stop the transfusion immediately.
- Check and monitor vital signs.
- Maintain intravenous (IV) access (Do not flush existing line and use a new IV line if required)
- Check the right pack has been given to the right patient.
Which treatment would prevent a transfusion reaction?
The most common approach to preventing FNHTR and allergic reactions is to give the patient premedication with
an antipyretic such as paracetamol and an anti-histamine such as diphenydramine
. There is very widespread use of these drugs prior to a transfusion.
What are the side effects of receiving blood?
- back pain.
- dark urine.
- chills.
- fainting or dizziness.
- fever.
- flank pain.
- skin flushing.
- shortness of breath.
When does hemolytic transfusion reaction occur?
Acute hemolytic reactions happen
within 24 hours of transfusion
and delayed hemolytic reactions happen after 24 hours. Delayed reactions usually occur two weeks after but can go up to 30 days post transfusion.
