Transfusion-related acute lung injury—does the anesthesiologist need to worry about this?

Abstract

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a complication associated with blood product administration. Although it is well described in the critical care and hematology literature, there is a paucity of information found in the anesthesiology literature. Because most transfusions are administered in the surgical arena, it is important that anesthesiologists be aware of TRALI and its clinical implications. We present a case of TRALI in a 55-year-old man who received a single unit of packed red blood cells during a single-level lumbar laminectomy. We also review the etiology, pathophysiology, and diagnostic criteria of TRALI.