What happens when a patient with Rh-negative blood is given Rh-positive blood or platelets?
Your question relates to the issue of blood groups and making sure that donated blood from one person to another is safe. The Rh system is one of the two major ways to characterize a persons blood or blood group. (It does not really apply to platelets.) The other major way is the ABO system. This refers to the chemical composition of the surface of the red blood cells. A person is either Rh-positive or Rh-negative. Most people are Rh-positive. An Rh-positive person possesses the so-called Rh factor on their blood cells. If an Rh-negative person receives blood that contains the Rh factor, the Rh-negative person may develop antibodies (chemicals that react) against it. This may not cause problems unless the person later receives another Rh-positive blood transfusion. Then, the antibodies to the Rh factor (previously produced) may “attack” the newly transfused Rh-positive blood and cause a “transfusion reaction,” which can be very serious. Mothers who are Rh-negative and give birth to an
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