Anaphylactic Reactions
Anaphylactic transfusion reactions represent the opposite end of the spectrum from the benign urticarial transfusion reaction.
Anaphylactic transfusion reactions represent one of the few "oh-my-gosh" emergencies that a Blood Banker can encounter. Thankfully, they are really, really rare, but they must be recognized quickly when they happen or death is a likely possibility.
We will start with a discussion of the presentation of an anaphylactic reaction, which falls into a group of at least three reactions that must be rapidly distinguished from each other. You can move through the discussion in order, or navigate to what you want to see with the box below.