Types of Transfusion Complications
Complications can be organized by consequences, mechanisms, symptoms, time of onset, and other variables. Below they have been arbitrarily grouped as immediate and delayed.
Immediate
Complications have been classed as immediate if they occur during or up to 24 hours after transfusion.
- Acute hemolytic (immune)
- Acute hemolytic (non-immune)
- Febrile non-hemolytic
- Allergic
- Anaphylactic
- Bacterial Sepsis
- Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI)
- Massive transfusion
- hemostatic complications
- metabolic complications
- hypothermia complications - Medication/solution interactions
- Circulatory overload
- Air embolism
- Isolated hypotension
Delayed
Delayed complications may occur days to months post-transfusion.
- Delayed hemolytic
- Post-transfusion purpura
- Transfusion-associated GVHD
- Alloimmunization
- Transfusion-transmitted diseases
- Iron overload
See a Complications Table that groups transfusion complications by type of blood component according to whether the risk is common but usually not life-threatening versus rare and potentially life-threatening.