Blood is thicker than water, as the saying goes, and it is just as necessary to preserve life. So, in the human body, blood performs three broad functions: transport, regulation, and protection. But, cleaning the blood when loses its natural mechanism, blood transfusion can help but it may have some side effects. Let’s discuss them.
Blood transfusion is a common process. According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Nearly 21 million blood transfusions are done each year in the U.S. alone.
Key Facts about Side Effects of Blood Transfusion:
- In many cases, an individual will immediately feel the positive effects of a blood transfusion.
- A blood transfusion usually takes 1-4 hours, depending on the purpose of the procedure.
- The advantages of a transfusion may last up to 2 weeks but vary based on the circumstances.
- Different kinds of transfusions may provide specific blood elements to the individual, such as a plasma or red blood cells.
What is a blood transfusion?
A blood transfusion is a process that restores blood to the body.
Healthcare professionals pass blood through a rubber tube into a vein using a needle or thin tube.
The sections below will cover the different types of blood transfusion procedures available. You will also know the Side Effects of Blood Transfusion.
Side Effects of Blood Transfusion
There are also no complications or problems in people who have undergone a blood transfusion. However, there are sometimes mild to serious problems.
Hence, here are some of the most common complications of blood transfusions:
1. Allergic reactions
Few people have allergic reactions to blood received during transfusion, even though they receive the right blood type. So, in some cases, the symptoms include hives and itching. Similarly, with most allergic reactions, antihistamines can treat it. However, if the reaction becomes serious, you should contact a doctor.
2. Fever
The development of a fever after a transfusion is not serious. Fever is the reaction of the body to the white blood cells in the transfused blood. However, it could be a symptom of a serious reaction if the patient also feels nausea or chest pain. So, patients should contact their providers if other signs or side effects are present.
3. Lung Injuries (also known as Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury or TRALI)
In rare cases, blood transfusions damage a person’s lungs. Damage induces a lot of fluid in the lungs, which makes it impossible to breathe. Any form of transfusion can cause lung damage. This reaction is most common after transferring plasma-containing blood components. There is treatment available for patients with transfusion-related lung damage. Most of them get better in two to three days.
Acute Transfusion Reaction
Examples of acute transfusion reactions include:
1. Simple allergic reactions
Even if an individual receives the right blood type, allergic reactions can occur. Also according to a 2013 article in the British Journal of Haematology, reactions are attributed to:
- Donor blood containing specific plasma proteins that the blood of the recipient sees as allergens
- Donor blood containing food allergens such as peanuts or gluten
- Antibodies in the blood of the donor react with antibodies in the blood of the recipient
Symptoms
Symptoms are typically mild and include:
- Rash
- Itching
- Hives
2. Anaphylactic transfusion reaction
Anaphylactic reactions occur in people with immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency who have IgA antibodies in their plasma.
Anti-IgA antibodies can respond with IgA antibodies in the blood of the donor.
Symptoms
Symptoms usually include:
- Flushed skin
- Itching
- Hives
- Swelling
- Difficulty breathing
- Wheezing
- Blue lips
- Vomiting
- Low blood pressure
3. Febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reaction
According to the CDC, the most common reaction is a febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reaction (FNHTR). It involves an unexpected increase in temperature during or 4 hours after the transfusion.
Fever is part of a person’s reaction to new blood in white blood cells.
Symptoms
Symptoms will depend on their severity and may include:
- Body temperatures above 38oC (100.4oF)
- Fever and chills
If Any other signs are present, call the doctor.
4. Acute hemolytic transfusion reaction
According to the CDC, this form of reaction occurs during, directly after, or within 24 hours of transfusion. This type of reaction happens when a person has received the wrong type of blood.
Article 2019 states that an acute hemolytic transfusion response causes the body to destroy the donated red blood cells.
Symptoms
Symptoms may include:
- Chills
- Low blood pressure
- Renal failure
Less common symptoms include:
- Flank pain
- Fever
- Red or brown urine
5. Septic transfusion reactions
According to the 2012 report, septic transfusion reactions normally occur due to bacterial infection of the donor’s blood components, most commonly from platelet products.
The bacteria in platelets that can induce a septic transfusion reaction include Staphylococcus aureus.
Symptoms may include:
- A fever
- Chills
- Low blood pressure
6. Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI)
This blood transfusion reaction is developing very rapidly. It occurs when antibodies in the donor’s blood, such as human leukocyte antibodies, react with leukocytes or white blood cells of the recipient. So, this causes edema or extra fluid in the lungs.
Furthermore, according to the American Red Cross, there is no specific test to identify which blood products can cause TRALI.
Symptoms
Symptoms of the TRALI:
- Severe shortness of breath
- Fever
- Low blood pressure
According to the 2012 article, most cases normally resolve within 48–72 hours. TRALI, though, can be deadly and has a mortality rate of 5-25%.
7. Transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO)
TACO happens if a person’s circulatory system cannot absorb the amount of blood or the speed at which it is received. Doctors call this volume pressure, and people who have heart or kidney disorders may develop it.
In TACO, the circulatory system is overwhelmed, resulting in pulmonary oedema where the lungs are filled with extra fluid.
Symptoms
Symptoms of TACO usually occur within a few hours of or during transfusion, including:
- Rapid breathing
- Coughing
- Shortness
- High blood pressure
- Rapid heartbeat
Delayed transfusion reactions
Examples of delayed transfusion reactions include:
1. Delayed hemolytic or delayed serological transfusion reaction
Delayed hemolytic or delayed serologic transfusion reactions occur when an antibody has already been reformed by the recipient and reacts to red cell antigens. Hence, reactions can occur between 1 day and 4 weeks after transfusion.
A person may acquire these antibodies by a previous pregnancy or transfusion. These particular antibodies decrease to undetectable levels over time. Those with antibodies are more likely to develop these transfusion reactions.
Symptoms
Symptoms usually include:
- Fever
- Jaundice
- Abdominal pain
- Dark urine
- High blood pressure
- Laboured breathing
2. Transfusion-associated graft versus host disease (TAGVHD)
According to the CDC, TAGVHD occurs when the number of T-lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, in the donor blood is rapidly increasing in the recipient. So, they attack the cells of the receiver.
However, this is a rare occurrence and has become less prevalent since introducing blood products’ irradiation. Hence, blood irradiation involves the exposure of blood components to ultraviolet light.
Symptoms
The symptoms, according to the CDC, are including:
- Rash
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Abdominal pain
- Fever
- Bone marrow failure
The Bottom Line
To sum up, the outlook or results depends on the reaction that a person encounters. Severe blood transfusion reactions are rare, however.
So, health care providers, blood banks, and hospitals take a wide range of steps to reduce the risk of transfusion reactions.
