How can patient misidentification lead to a dangerous transfusion reaction?

Patient misidentification is a critical error that can lead to a life-threatening medical emergency during a blood transfusion. When a patient is misidentified, or when blood samples or components are mislabeled, there is a significant risk of administering blood that is incompatible with the recipient's ABO blood group.1

If a patient receives blood that is ABO-incompatible, their immune system may launch a rapid response within the blood vessels, known as an intravascular hemolytic reaction. This occurs because the recipient's serum contains antibodies that attack the foreign antigens on the donor's red blood cells. This reaction is extremely dangerous and can potentially result in death.12

To ensure patient safety, it is vital that medical professionals strictly adhere to identification protocols to prevent the administration of mismatched blood components.12