TAD-POL (Transfusion-Associated-Dyspnea: Prospective observation and laboratory assessment)

Respiratory transfusion reactions (RTRs) are the leading cause of transfusion-related harm and death. These are related to excess volume (transfusion-associated circulatory overload [TACO]); other direct lung damages (transfusion-related acute lung injury [TRALI] or allergic bronchopulmonary transfusion reaction [ABTR]); or indirect insults (as with a contaminated or incompatible product). Cases are often hard to classify because of missing information, underlying conditions (-progressions of which may mimic RTRs-), and/or overlapping RTRs. What is left is “transfusion-associated dyspnea (TAD).” It is unknown if this has a unique root cause, and/or if cases are re-classifiable with additional information. Tracking transfusion hazards (hemovigilance) depends on strong inputs (reporting) and outputs (accurate coding), without which the true burdens and best defenses (as applied to donors to recipients) remain unknown. Deeper profiling of RTRs should improve categorizations, while uncovering the nature of (and/or minimizing) RTRs tagged as TAD. In this study, the tool (TADPOL), as applied in RTR patients (and as contrasted with those having reactions marked only by fever), will be assessed for its impact on final classifications, the capture of RTRs representing overlap states, and the distributed signatures of RTRs deemed to be TACO, TRALI, ABTR, and TAD according to currently applied definitions.

CSERTI-GAZDEWICH, Christine

University of Toronto

Intramural Research Grant Program

Ontario

$278,027