Question

A male patient was seen in the ER with an acute blled. The recommendation from the blood supplier is to give O-positive RBCs as uncrossmatched blood. This patient has already been exposed to Rh-positive blood after a previous accident. What is a possible outcome?

1) Hemolysis
2) Anemia
3) Blood clotting
4) No adverse effects

Answer 1

A male patient with prior exposure to Rh-positive blood receiving uncrossmatched O-positive RBCs could experience hemolysis due to an immune reaction against the Rh antigen, leading to a hemolytic transfusion reaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a male patient who has been previously exposed to Rh-positive blood receives uncrossmatched O-positive RBCs, a possible outcome is hemolysis. After an exposure to Rh antigen, the immune system can develop antibodies to it. In this scenario, the transfused Rh-positive RBCs can be attacked by the patient's Rh antibodies, which could lead to destruction of the transfused cells, termed a hemolytic transfusion reaction (HTR).

This is because the patient's immune system recognizes the Rh antigen on the transfused red blood cells, and if there are already antibodies present due to past exposure, this can trigger an immune response. This immune response may include the agglutination of red blood cells, leading to hemolysis. The severity of the reaction can vary, but it can be a life-threatening situation that demands immediate medical attention.