Course Outline
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- Adverse Effects of Blood Transfusions
- Transfusion Reactions: Introduction
- Blood Component Transfusion Risks
- Immediate Immunologic Transfusion Reactions
- Immune Hemolysis
- Causes of Immune Hemolysis
- Clinical Signs and Symptoms
- Initial Transfusion Reaction Investigation
- Additional Testing
- Management and Prevention
- An acute hemolytic transfusion reaction (AHTR) may be caused by which of the following?
- Febrile Transfusion Reactions
- Febrile Nonhemolytic Transfusion Reactions: Definition, Manifestation, and Prevalence
- True or False: Leukocyte-reduced blood components are associated with the development of febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions (FNHTR).
- A febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reaction (FNHTR) is characterized by which of the following symptoms?
- Allergic Transfusion Reaction
- Definition, Manifestations, and Prevalence of Allergic Reactions Related to Transfusion
- Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
- True or False: Premedication with antihistamines may prevent an allergic reaction in patients with a history of multiple urticarial transfusion reacti...
- Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI)
- Acute Nonimmunologic Transfusion Reactions
- Bacterial Contamination
- Presentation and Prevalence of Bacterial Contamination
- Sources of Contamination
- Reducing Transfusion-Associated Septic Reactions
- Which type of blood component is most often implicated in bacterial contamination?
- Circulatory Overload
- Physical/Chemical Hemolysis
- Acute Pain and Hypotensive Reactions
- Summary of Additional Testing in Acute (Immediate) Transfusion Reaction Investigations
- Table: Additional Testing That May Be Ordered for Acute (Immediate) Transfusion Reaction Investigations
- Delayed Immunologic Transfusion Reactions
- Delayed Transfusion Reactions
- Delayed Transfusion Reactions
- DHTR: Diagnosis
- Severe DHTR and Sickle Cell Anemia
- True or False: Delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions (DHTR) typically occur 3 hours after transfusion.
- Transfusion-Associated Graft-Versus-Host Disease (TA-GVHD)
- Post-Transfusion Purpura (PTP)
- Definition/Manifestation/Prevalence
- Pathophysiology, Treatment, and Prevention of Post-Transfusion Purpura (PTP)
- Which of the following patients are not at risk for transfusion-associated graft versus host disease (TA-GVHD) and would not require cellular componen...
- Post-transfusion purpura (PTP) is characterized by all of the following except:
- Delayed Non-Immunologic Transfusion Reactions
- Iron Overload
- Disease Transmission
- True or False: Patients with diseases that require chronic transfusions are at risk for iron overload.
- Investigation of a Delayed Transfusion Reaction
- Investigation of a Delayed Transfusion Reaction
- Reporting Transfusion Reactions
- References
Additional Information
Level of instruction: Intermediate
Intended audience: Medical laboratory scientists, medical technologists, and technicians. This course is also appropriate for clinical laboratory science students and pathology residents.
Author information: Erin Tretter, MBA, MT(ASCP) is the Division Manager of the Rapid Response Laboratory at Bryn Mawr Hospital in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Prior to taking this position, she was the Blood Bank Clinical Instructor for the Clinical Laboratory Science Program at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and the Community College of Philadelphia. She has seven years’ experience teaching immunohematology concepts and laboratory procedures to Medical Technology students. She has also provided blood bank training to laboratory technologists and medical students. Erin holds a BS in Medical Technology from California University of Pennsylvania and Masters in Business Administration from Florida Institute of Technology.
Reviewer information:
Joshua J. Cannon, MS, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM received his Bachelor
of Science and Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Science from Thomas
Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. He holds Medical Laboratory Scientist
and Specialist in Hematology certifications through the ASCP Board of
Certification. He was a professor at Thomas Jefferson University for seven
years before transitioning into his current role as Education Developer at
MediaLab. His areas of expertise and professional passions include clinical
hematology and interprofessional education.
Barbara Cebulski, MS, MLS(ASCP) has over 40 years of experience in the medical laboratory profession as a technologist, section supervisor, and laboratory manager. She was an Inspection and Technical Specialist for nine years with the College of American Pathologists in the Laboratory Accreditation Program and, until her retirement in 2015, was Program Director for MediaLab, Inc. Barbara holds a Masters in Instructional Technology from Georgia State University.
Course information: This course is a review of clinical and laboratory recognition of transfusion reactions and the responsibilities of both areas for prevention of and proper response to a suspected reaction.
