Acute Hemolytic Reactions
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY: Up until a few years ago, the pathophysiology of the dire consequences resulting from acute hemolysis was thought to be fairly simple.
The prevailing wisdom was that hemoglobin freed from red cells caused a cascade of bad things from renal failure to systemic collapse. It turns out that things aren't quite so simple. A detailed explanation of the changes which occur in the body in acute hemolysis is really beyond what I am trying to accomplish with this web site, so I will summarize and simplify as much as I can. If you are really interested in the details, see a Transfusion Medicine text like Rossi or Petz & Swisher, or even the AABB Technical Manual.
The above image simplifies and summarizes the basics of the pathophysiology of acute HTRs (as they are currently understood). The key players in this scenario will be discussed in the next section.
Back to Acute Hemolytic Reactions | Back to Transfusion Reaction Types