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Massive blood transfusion
1Department of Pathology, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Insights
Pediatricians must understand blood storage lesions and potential complications when performing massive transfusions (MT) in children. Proper component selection and management are crucial for patient safety and effective treatment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Hematology
- Transfusion Medicine
- Critical Care Pediatrics
Background:
- Hospital-based pediatricians frequently manage children requiring massive transfusion (MT) for conditions like trauma and hyperbilirubinemia.
- Selecting appropriate blood components necessitates understanding their specific storage requirements and the biochemical/physical changes (storage lesions) that occur over time.
- Storage lesions, including decreased 2,3-DPG and pH, and altered potassium levels, can impact component function and viability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical role of pediatricians in managing massive transfusions in children.
- To emphasize the importance of recognizing and mitigating the effects of blood component storage lesions.
- To inform pediatricians about potential complications of MT and their management strategies.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on massive transfusion protocols in pediatrics.
- Analysis of blood component storage lesions and their clinical implications.
- Discussion of common and serious complications associated with pediatric MT.
Main Results:
- Knowledge of storage lesions is essential for appropriate blood component selection and preparation during MT.
- Potential complications of MT include hemostatic, biochemical/metabolic, hypothermia, mechanical, and Rh incompatibility issues.
- Effective management requires awareness, prevention, anticipation of needs, and timely intervention.
Conclusions:
- Pediatricians must be knowledgeable about blood storage lesions to optimize component selection for massive transfusions.
- Awareness of MT complications is vital for prevention and management in pediatric patients.
- Comprehensive understanding facilitates better decision-making and improved outcomes in pediatric massive transfusion scenarios.
Abstract:
Pediatricians in the hospital setting must frequently treat children who require massive transfusion (MT) in a variety of clinical situations ranging from major trauma to neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. After identifying the need for massive transfusion, the pediatrician must select the appropriate blood components. Different blood components have specific temperature, preservative, and time requirements for their storage. Changes, termed storage lesions, occur over time in blood components during storage; biochemical changes include decreased levels of 2,3-DPG, a decrease in pH, and an increase in supernatant potassium (K+) with a concurrent decrease in intracellular K+. These changes may affect the function and the viability of components. Additionally, physical changes such as deformation of the red cell membrane occur during storage. Knowledge of these storage lesions is necessary for the pediatrician to make the most appropriate decisions regarding the preparation and selection of components during MT. Serious complications of MT include hemostatic abnormalities, biochemical/metabolic abnormalities, hypothermia, mechanical injury and the effect of Rh incompatibility, each of which has a specific management response. Pediatricians need to be aware of the potential complications associated with massive transfusion, to take measures to prevent them when possible, to anticipate additional transfusion requirements, and to know how to manage them in the pediatric patient.