In simple words: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) happens when your body attacks a transplanted organ, bone marrow, or stem cells from a donor. It can cause a range of problems, from skin rashes and digestive issues to more serious complications.Your doctor will determine the specific type and how to best treat it.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is an immune disorder that occurs when a recipient's body reacts abnormally to a donor organ, bone marrow, or stem cells.GVHD can be classified as acute, chronic, or acute on chronic. Symptoms can vary depending on the type and severity of GVHD. Acute GVHD can involve intense itching, painful rash, loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, intestinal obstruction, and rarely, hepatic coma.Chronic GVHD can present with dry eyes, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, shortness of breath, cough, joint pain and inflammation, muscle cramps, pain, weakness, numbness, nerve pain, skin lesions, jaundice, skin thickening, joint contractures, and thrombocytopenia.

Example 1: A patient receiving a bone marrow transplant develops a rash, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, which are diagnosed as acute GVHD., A patient who underwent a liver transplant several months prior experiences dry eyes, shortness of breath, and joint pain, consistent with chronic GVHD., A patient with acute GVHD develops additional symptoms of skin thickening and joint contractures, indicating a transition to acute on chronic GVHD.

Documentation should include the type of GVHD (acute, chronic, or acute on chronic), the involved organ systems, the severity of symptoms, and the diagnostic methods used to confirm the diagnosis. Any underlying causes, such as transplantation or blood transfusion, should also be documented.