Knowledge Check

What is the purpose of the antibody screen?

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To determine the presence of antibodies against non-ABO antigens (alloantibodies) of likely clinical significance

Which of the following is considered the more essential pretransfusion compatibility test?

Antibody screen

This test will pick up >99% of clinically significant antibodies. The crossmatch will pick up most of the remainder.

Crossmatch

Crossmatching is a method of confirming compatibility between the patient and the donor and is the final step in procuring red cell units suitable for transfusion.

The antibody screen involves incubating patient plasma with which type of red blood cell?

Type A

Type B

Type AB

Type O

A sample of the patient’s plasma is tested against selected commercial Type O red blood cells (RBCs) that express the majority of clinically significant antigens. Commercially available group O RBCs for antibody screening may be performed by 2 reagent or 3 reagent single-donor RBCs.

What is the next step if the antibody screen is positive?

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Plasma samples are tested against a panel of group O RBCs (typically 8-14 samples) with known antigenic composition to identify alloantibody specificity

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