Introduction:

Pediatric cancer is a major public health problem and leukemia is the most common. Sometimes this disease can lead to depletion of cell lines and the transfusion of blood components is an important pillar of their treatment. This procedure can generate post-transfusion reactions that can be lethal.

Objective:

Show the different clinical and epidemiological characteristics of post-transfusion reactions in pediatric population with leukemia.

Methods:

A systematic search was carried out in the main databases of medical literature. 46 items were included.

Results:

The most common complication is the non-hemolytic febrile reaction. Iron overloading is also common. The most important risk factor for this overload is the number of transfusions. It is necessary to monitor the amount of iron in the liver. Acute transfusion-related pulmonary reaction is a life-threatening condition. Infections can occur and can be fatal given the immunosuppression of this group of patients. Other immune reactions may be rare, but they should be taken into account.

Final considerations:

Post-transfusion reactions may be more severe in patients with leukemia. Studies with appropriate epidemiological models are required to identify the most common post-transfusion reactions in the pediatric population with this disease.

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