NONINFECTIOUS COMPLICATIONS OF BLOOD-TRANSFUSION

Noninfectious complications of blood transfusions consist of a diverse group of predominately immune mediated transfusion reactions that range from immediate, life-threatening reactions to subclinical reactions. These reactions include acute and delayed hemolytic reactions, febrile nonhemolytic reactions, allergic reactions including mild urticarial to severe anaphylactic reactions, transfusion-related acute lung injury and transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease. In the past, many of the noninfectious complications of transfusion were attributed to antigen-antibody interactions. Today, an emerging body of evidence suggests that the cellular immune system and cytokines play a central role in the pathophysiology of immune-mediated transfusion reactions and contribute to the broad diversity of clinical presentations.