Final answer:
B) A transfusion reaction Mislabeling a blood bank specimen can lead to a severe transfusion reaction, where the recipient's immune system attacks the incompatible transfused blood cells,
Step-by-step explanation:
The consequence of mislabeling a blood bank specimen could lead to a transfusion reaction, which is a potentially severe and life-threatening incident. This occurs when a recipient receives mismatched blood type due to a labeling error, inducing an immune response where the body attacks the foreign blood cells. This can result in hemolytic transfusion reaction (HTR), leading to symptoms such as fever, chills, itching, low blood pressure, and in severe cases, shock and organ failure. Additionally, mislabeling violates traceability requirements of blood products, undermining hemovigilance systems aimed at ensuring the safety of transfusions and can impact the overall blood supply by potentially using up safe and matching units unnecessarily.
For instance, if a type B individual receives type A blood, there will be a strong type II hypersensitivity response, causing agglutination and destruction of the donor red blood cells. In a blood typing scenario where both anti-A and anti-B antibodies cause agglutination in a patient's blood sample, this indicates the patient has type AB blood, which is a normal response. Regular antibody screening tests alongside blood typing are critical to verify the patient's blood type and to ensure compatibility, reducing the risk of these severe reactions.