Late Presentation of Transfusion-related Acute Lung Injury in the Emergency Department

Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. 2019 Jan 7;3(1):33-35. doi: 10.5811/cpcem.2018.11.40592. eCollection 2019 Feb.

Abstract

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a complication of blood product transfusion characterized by respiratory distress with bilateral lung infiltrates and non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema developing within six hours of transfusion. TRALI is believed to result from an immunological response to transfused blood products. TRALI is a clinical diagnosis that requires the exclusion of other etiologies of pulmonary edema and acute lung injury. Here we report a case of a female who presented to the emergency department in acute respiratory distress two days after receiving a transfusion of packed red blood cells for post-operative anemia following a hysterectomy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports