Additional Information

Immediate transfusion reactions may be caused by any 1 or more of several factors. These include: RBC hemolysis, allergic reactions to serum factors or WBCs, pyogenic reactions, blood contamination with bacteria, or cardiopulmonary overload. On average, incidence of transfusion reactions is 2% and a great majority of these are transient, allergic, and/or febrile types. Shaking and chills, fever ( 2 deg; over baseline), or hives are most common symptoms and serve as a warning sign that a transfusion reaction is occurring. Other less commonly seen symptoms include: itching, bloody urine, shock, jaundice, and severe pain at infusion site, back or chest. Most of the time it is impossible to tell how severe a transfusion reaction will be on the basis of early symptoms.