How does Rh factor affect the giving of blood transfusions?
Persons with Rh-positive blood can receive transfusions from donors with Rh-positive and Rh-negative blood. Persons with Rh-negative blood can only receive transfusions from donors with Rh-negative blood. Q. Why is blood typing important? A. When the body is exposed to something foreign, like a blood transfusion, our immune system kicks in to protect us. One weapon the body deploys is the production of antibodies, protein molecules released by plasma cells that bind to a specific antigen. The antibodies couple with the antigens on the surface of the invading cells and try to destroy the cells. A cross-match is performed between the donor’s blood and patient’s blood to prevent this kind of reaction, which can range from mild to very serious. Antigens are also found on white cells and platelets. Additional testing, such as HLA testing or filtering may be performed in the case of white cell or platelet transfusion. Q. What is alloimunization? A. Most people, on average, will only need blo
