Final answer:
The student is experiencing symptoms of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after a bone marrow transplant. GVHD occurs when the donor cells attack the recipient's tissues, leading to various symptoms. Treatment may involve immunosuppressive medications to suppress the immune response and alleviate symptoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is experiencing symptoms of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after a bone marrow transplant. GVHD occurs when the donor cells attack the recipient's tissues, leading to various symptoms. In this case, the symptoms reported include fever, arthalgias (joint pain), lymphadenopathy (enlarged lymph nodes), and erythema (redness) on the hands and feet.
GVHD is a result of the immune response mounted by the donor cells against the recipient's cells. The immune cells in the transplanted bone marrow recognize the recipient's tissues as foreign and launch an attack. This immune response causes inflammation and damage to different organs, resulting in the symptoms observed.
It is important for the student to seek medical attention, as GVHD can be serious and requires appropriate management. Treatment may involve immunosuppressive medications to suppress the immune response and alleviate symptoms.