Investigation - Circulatory Overload

Transfusion services should have clear policies describing the required investigation for transfusion complications. An example of an immediate investigation shows steps that could be used to investigate any immediate transfusion reaction.

This type of complication is rarely reported to the hospital transfusion service and laboratory investigation is therefore rare unless the symptoms are severe.

Circulatory overload needs to be differentiated from other causes of acute respiratory distress such as anaphylaxis and TRALI as the management of future transfusion is very different in these complications. Both anaphylaxis and TRALI are characterized by hypotension (moderate to severe); TRALI symptoms include a fever and pulmonary edema; anaphylaxis includes a rash but not pulmonary edema.