3.8 Patients With a Positive Antibody Screen | New Zealand Blood Service

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Transfusion medicine

Transfusion medicine handbook

The Transfusion Medicine Handbook is designed to assist hospital staff and other health professionals in modern Transfusion Medicine Practice.

3. Guide to Good Transfusion Practice

3.8 Patients With a Positive Antibody Screen

If the patient is found to have a clinically significant red cell antibody during antibody screening, blood that does not have the corresponding antigen will be needed for transfusion. The relevant antigen-negative donor blood is selected and crossmatched against the patient’s plasma. This can be a time-consuming process but is necessary if the patient is to receive compatible blood.

If there is insufficient time for full identification of the antibody or to obtain antigen-negative units, transfusion of (potentially) incompatible blood may be recommended. In these circumstances a NZBS Transfusion Medicine Specialist/Medical Officer will contact the clinical staff to discuss the comparative risks of delaying transfusion versus transfusing potentially incompatible blood.

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