A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving a unit of packed red blood cells. Fifteen minutes following the start of the transfusion, the nurse notes that the client is febrile, with chills and red-tinged urine. Which of the following transfusion reactions should the nurse suspect?
Allergic
Acute pain
Febrile
Hemolytic
The Correct Answer is D
A. Allergic: Allergic reactions typically involve symptoms such as hives, itching, and sometimes anaphylaxis, but not usually fever, chills, or hematuria (red-tinged urine).
B. Acute pain: Acute pain transfusion reaction is characterized by severe pain but not usually accompanied by fever, chills, or hematuria.
C. Febrile: Febrile reactions involve fever and chills but do not typically include red-tinged urine, which indicates hemolysis of red blood cells.
D. Hemolytic: A hemolytic transfusion reaction involves the destruction of red blood cells, leading to fever, chills, and red-tinged urine due to the presence of hemoglobin from lysed red cells in the urine.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["A","C","E"]
Explanation
A. D-dimer blood test - A D-dimer test measures clot breakdown products in the blood. Elevated levels suggest the presence of an abnormal blood clot, such as in PE, although it is not specific.
B. Complete blood count (CBC) - A CBC is not typically used to diagnose PE. It may be ordered to check for other conditions or as part of the overall health assessment, but it doesn't confirm PE.
C. CT scan - A CT pulmonary angiography is the gold standard for diagnosing PE. It provides detailed images of the blood vessels in the lungs.
D. Chest x-ray - A chest x-ray is not diagnostic for PE. It is often performed to rule out other causes of the client’s symptoms (e.g., pneumonia, pneumothorax) but does not confirm the presence of a pulmonary embolism.
E. Lung ventilation and perfusion scan (VQ scan)
A VQ scan is another diagnostic tool for PE, especially in clients who cannot tolerate contrast dye required for CT scans. It assesses the ventilation and perfusion of the lungs and identifies mismatches suggestive of PE.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. Hemolytic: Acute hemolytic transfusion reactions can occur quickly after starting a transfusion and present with symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, low back pain, tachycardia, and apprehension. It is a serious reaction caused by the destruction of transfused red blood cells.
B. Allergic: Allergic reactions to blood transfusions typically present with hives, itching, and anaphylaxis, not low back pain or tachycardia.
C. Febrile: Febrile reactions involve fever and chills but not typically headache or back pain.
D. Bacterial: Bacterial contamination of blood can cause fever and chills, but not specifically the symptoms of headache and low back pain described.
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