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In the U.S. alone, 4 million patients receive blood transfusions every year. Acute lung injury that develops within 6 hours of blood transfusion, or transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), is emerging as a common cause of transfusion-associated morbidity and mortality. However, the characteristics of the patients who develop TRALI — and of the transfused blood products they receive — are unclear.
During a 2-year period, investigators prospectively observed 901 critically ill patients who received blood transfusions; 74 (8%) developed acute lung injury within 6 hours of transfusion. The characteristics of these 74 patients were compared with those of 74 critically ill control patients who received blood transfusions but did not develop…