Question

The patient is a 35 year old white female with an acute GI bleed. She types as O+ with a negative antibody screen. Records show no previous antibodies.

What, if any, further testing is needed?

What type of crossmatches should be done in this case?

The patient is a 72 year old white female with bladder cancer. She types as O positive. Antibody screen is 2+ positive at immediate spin and 1+ positive in the antiglobulin phase. Crossmatches are 2+ incompatible at immediate spin.

What, if any, further testing is needed?

What type of crossmatches should be done in this case?

Answer 1

• As there is negative antibody screen in first case, it shows no harmful antibodies in the blood. Antibody screen followed by a cross match test. Its done to avoid severe transfusion reactions. As the peeson has no red cell antibodies, cross matching type and cross method can be used. Immediate spin cross match is done for 5 to 10 min by mixing the clients plasma with a sample RBC from the transfusion unit. In this case no AHG testing needed. Electronic cross match also can be done.
• If Antibody screen is found as positive as in the second case mentioned , Antibody identification and selection of negative unit antigen should be done prior to cross match. Then Antihuman globulin or AHG cross match should be done for 30 minutes. It incubates persons plasma with the red cells from tthe unit in presence of LISS or PEG and check for agglutination before this test.