Acute lung injury as a consequence of fresh frozen plasma administration in a patient with factor XII deficiency

Along with the complete blood count, the coagulation tests are those most demanded before a surgical procedure. The activated partial thromboplastin time (APPT) quantifies the intrinsic and common coagulation pathways, including factors XII, XI, IX, VIII, X, V and II. Factor XII deficiency is associated with a prolonged APPT and an increase in thromboembolic phenomena, without increasing the intraoperative bleeding risk. A 20 year old man with factor XII deficiency was receiving two units of fresh frozen plasma because of an APPT of 100 seconds, with the intention of normalizing it before an urgent surgery procedure, and the fear of intraoperative bleeding. An hour after starting the transfusion the patient developed an acute lung injury (ALI) compatible with the diagnosis of a transfusion related acute lung injury (TRALI). The surgery continued without complications, and the patient was admitted to the resuscitation unit for 72 h, needing respiratory support. If the APTT is prolonged in the absence of bleeding, the presence of a non-specific circulating anticoagulant, a deficiency of factor XI, XII and VIII (associated to Von Willebrand disease) must be ruled out. Therefore, in the case presented here, the administration of hemoderivatives was unnecessary and can have consequences as serious as the one that the patient presented, a transfusion related acute lung injury.