Hemotherapy bedside biovigilance involving vital sign values and characteristics of patients with suspected transfusion reactions associated with fluid challenges: can some cases of transfusion-associated circulatory overload have proinflammatory aspects?

Background: Monitoring of patients' vital sign values (VSVs) during hemotherapy may have an important role in the recognition and mitigation of transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO). Knowledge regarding VSVs and other patient characteristics in bedside-reported TACO or fluid challenge-suspected transfusion reactions (TACO/FC-STRs) is limited.

Study Design And Methods: We performed a retrospective observational cohort study of cases of uncomplicated red blood cell (RBC) transfusions (UCTs) and reported suspected transfusion reaction (STR) cases investigated by our hospital's transfusion medicine service (TMS) from January 1, 2005, to February 29, 2008, using data obtained from TMS consult reports and quality improvement databases examining VSVs and patient characteristics in TACO/FC-STRs.