What can happen if incompatible blood is transfused?

Transfusing incompatible blood can lead to hemolytic reactions, which can be a serious and potentially life-threatening complication. When a patient receives blood that is not compatible with their own blood type, the immune system may recognize the transfused red blood cells as foreign invaders. This prompts an immune response, leading to the destruction (or hemolysis) of the transfused red cells.

Hemolytic reactions can initiate a cascade of events, resulting in symptoms such as fever, chills, back pain, and dark urine due to hemoglobinuria. In severe cases, this reaction can cause acute kidney injury, shock, or even death. The reaction is often categorized into acute hemolytic transfusion reactions, which occur within hours of transfusion, and delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions, which can happen days to weeks later.

Understanding the consequences of transfusing incompatible blood is critical for blood bank technologists and healthcare professionals to ensure patient safety, making proper blood typing and crossmatching essential practices in transfusion medicine.