ABSTRACT
Adverse reactions to transfusions are remarkably heterogeneous. Depending upon both the patient’s condition and the blood component transfused, the patient may, on occasion, experience any of a variety of transfusion reactions. Some are precipitated by the reaction of endogenous factors (e.g., recipient antibodies) with corresponding antigens in the transfused components. Others may be caused by exogenous substances, such as cytokines, bacterial organisms (and/or their toxins), excess iron, donor antibodies, or even the citrate used as a blood anticoagulant. And, still, some untoward effects of transfusion are related to physiological processes as simple as volume overload.
