Most blood transfusions take place without problems but having a blood transfusion carries with it a very small risk of developing side effects. These may develop within several hours, or, in some cases, may happen days or weeks later.
These side effects are often mild, but it is still important to report any unusual or unexpected symptoms to a doctor or nurse (or midwife if your transfusion was related to pregnancy/ childbirth).
Please contact the hospital for advice if you experience any of the following after having a blood transfusion:
- A high temperature – feeling feverish, hot and clammy
- Shivering or ‘cold chills’
- Breathing problems
- Extreme tiredness
- Passing blood in your urine
- Passing much less, or very dark, urine
- Itchy skin rash
- Pain in the lower back (loin pain)
- Unexpected or unexplained bruising
- Jaundice (yellow colour of the white of your eyes or your skin)
When contacting the hospital for advice, please inform the hospital staff that you have recently had a blood transfusion.
This section to be completed by staff on discharge. Explain to the patient how to obtain assistance in the event of a problem (both ‘in hours’ and ‘out of hours’), and then give the leaflet to the patient: before they leave the ward/clinic.
Ward/department: ........................................................................
Contact telephone number(s): Daytime ........................................................................
Night time/weekends ........................................................................
Date and time of last transfusion .......................................................................
If you are unable to make contact with the hospital where you had your transfusion, then please contact your GP as soon as possible.
In the rare event of an emergency (life threatening problems, for example difficulty with breathing), call 999 for an ambulance and bring this leaflet into hospital with you.
If you would like further information or advice about this, or other aspects of blood transfusion, please discuss this with your hospital doctor, nurse or midwife.
(Acknowledgements: the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Taunton and Somerset Hospital NHS Trust) Information contained in this leaflet has been produced in collaboration with the NHSBT Better Blood Transfusion Team. Patient Advice V1 March 2011
Date of Review: November 2023
Date of Next Review: November 2025
Ref No: PI_M_750 (BRO)