Acute & emergency · UKMLA & AKT
Septic transfusion reaction
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test, covering how to recognise this condition. The full SA Note notes add investigations, management and complications, with practice questions on this topic.
Key high-yield points
- Symptoms begin during or within hours of transfusion. Speed and severity reflect bacterial load and endotoxin concentration.
- Fever - usually >38.5°C, often with rigors
- Hypotension - key distinguishing feature from non-haemolytic febrile reaction (NHFTR); reflects distributive shock
- Tachycardia - compensatory response
- Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting - visceral manifestation of systemic inflammatory response
- Rigors - intense shivering from cytokine-mediated hypothalamic resetting
- Confusion/reduced GCS - sign of cerebral hypoperfusion; indicates severity
- Progression to septic shock and multi-organ failure if untreated
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