crossmatch
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Introduction
A test for incompatibility between donor & recipient blood. It is performed prior to transfusion in order to prevent potentially lethal hemolytic transfusion reactions.
Indications
- transfusion needed
- unexpected antibody in type & screen[2]
Procedure
- major cross-match
- incubation of plasma of recipient with erythrocytes of donor
- clumping of erythrocytes indicates incompatibility (recipient antibodies to donor erythrocytes)
- minor cross-match
- incubation of plasma of donor with erythrocytes of recipeint
- clumping of erythrocytes indicates incompatibility (donor antibodies to recipient erythrocytes)
Management
- autoimmune hemolytic anemia is treated with transfusion of ABO Rh matched incompatible units[2]
- donor erythrocytes, although cross-match incompatible, will still survive for days to weeks
- major complication is failure to identify significant alloantibody (unlikely if patient has not been previously transfused)