Signs and symptoms of a blood transfusion reaction include:

• A. Chills, fever, tachycardia, hypertension, shortness of breath, cramps, itching
• B. Isolated hypertension with no other symptoms
• C. Chronic fatigue without acute symptoms
• D. Nausea only

Answer: (A)

A transfusion reaction typically presents as an acute, multisystem response to donor blood, so recognizing a cluster of symptoms is the key. Fever and chills show a febrile reaction as the body mounts an immune response to donor leukocytes or plasma. Tachycardia and shortness of breath reflect the cardiopulmonary stress that can accompany a reaction, while itching indicates an allergic response to donor components. Hypertension can occur with acute sympathetic activation experienced during the early phases of a reaction. The combination of these symptoms—fever, chills, rapid heartbeat, breathing changes, itching—together points to an acute transfusion reaction rather than a single, non-acute symptom.

The other options describe symptoms that are either isolated, chronic, or not typical of an acute transfusion reaction, so they don’t fit the pattern as well.