title: Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI)--an important, severe transfusion-related complication.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is an immune-mediated transfusion reaction that can cause severe complications or even death. It is now the leading cause of transfusion-related death in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  The TRALI syndrome is presented in two cases in a surgical intensive care unit and discussed against the background of the present literature. In both cases, concomitant diseases led to an extremely difficult course of TRALI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge of the TRALI syndrome is necessary to enable early diagnosis and treatment. It should be taken into consideration at any time when cardiopulmonary instability occurs after transfusion of blood products, which is a frequent event on surgical Intensive Care Units. TRALI remains a clinical diagnosis supported by serologic studies if these are available. Against the background of this potentially life-threatening complication, every single indication to transfuse blood products needs to be scrutinized carefully.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery I, Julius-Maximillians-University, Oberduerrbacher Strasse 6, 97080 Wuerzburg, Germany. bueter_m@chirurgie.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bueter
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thalheimer
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schuster
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Böck
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: von Erffa
authors.forename: Detlef
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003422:Critical Care; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G