Complications

Complication
Timeframe
Likelihood
short term
low

Spontaneous, life-threatening bleeding is rare, especially in children.[22]

Patients with life-threatening bleeding should be treated with the usual medical intensive care strategy. Emergency treatment includes combination therapy with platelet transfusion, intravenous corticosteroids, and intravenous immunoglobulin.

short term
low

Estimated frequency is approximately 0.5% in children and 1.5% in adults.[104][105]

long term
medium

An increased risk of thrombotic events during treatment cannot be ruled out. Patients at high risk of thrombotic events should avoid these agents.[45][102]​​

Withdrawal thrombocytopenia may occur if treatment is stopped abruptly.[102]

Bone marrow biopsy is advised in cases of loss of response if adherence is confirmed.

Liver function monitoring is required.

variable
low

The risk of a transfusion-transmitted infectious disease from red cell transfusions (if needed secondary to bleeding) are: HIV-1 1:2,000,000; human T-lymphotropic virus type (HTLV)-I/II 1:640,000; hepatitis 1:1,000,000; hepatitis B 1:63,000 to 1:233,000; hepatitis C 1:2,000,000; hepatitis G 1:25 to 1:100.[103]

Symptomatic bacterial sepsis risk from transfusion is: RBC 1:500,000; platelets 1:2000 to 1:12,000.

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