Abstract
Objective: Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a relatively uncommon complication in patients who undergo plasma-containing blood product transfusion. Despite the cross matching process, TRALI remains the most common cause of mortality associated with transfusion. We describe a case of TRALI in a 24-year-old trauma patient who was successfully cared for on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
Design: Chart review.
Setting: Academic medical center with Level 1 Trauma.
Patients and participants: Single case from a busy urban trauma center.
Interventions: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Conclusion: ECMO has only rarely been successfully used in patients with TRALI; to our knowledge, ours is the first successful report of its use in a trauma patient. Its use in maintaining gas exchange in trauma patients with TRALI should be further investigated.
