Final answer:
Acute transfusion reaction presents with fever, headache, body aches, chills, pruritus, urticaria, nausea, vomiting, dyspnea, and may progress to severe hypotension, coagulation issues, multi-organ failure, and even death due to mismatched blood transfusion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The clinical presentation of an acute transfusion reaction typically occurs within 1 to 24 hours after a patient receives a mismatched blood transfusion. Symptoms can include high fever, headache, body aches, chills, pruritus (itching), urticaria (hives), nausea, vomiting, dyspnea (difficult or labored breathing), and hemoglobinuria (presence of hemoglobin in the urine). In severe cases, the patient may experience hypotension (low blood pressure), disseminated intravascular coagulation, jaundice, and hemolytic anemia due to the destruction of the transfused red blood cells (RBCs), potentially leading to multi-organ failure and death. The anti-A or anti-B antibodies from the recipient, when exposed to the incompatible RBCs, may bind to and agglutinate the transfused cells, triggering a cascade of complement activation which can cause intense inflammation and massive destruction of the donor RBCs. The resultant cellular debris can obstruct blood vessels, particularly in sensitive areas like the lungs and kidneys, leading to acute renal failure and other serious complications.