Urgent release of blood for patients with antibodies present
Approximately 2% of patients will have red cell antibodies in their plasma as a result of transfusion or pregnancy. Every group and save includes an antibody screen, and where antibodies are detected, additional testing is required. Depending on the complexity this can take several hours for uncomplicated cases and 24-48 hours if the complexity requires referral to the regional reference laboratory. This can cause a delay in blood provision. Most of the antibodies screened for are clinically significant with the potential to cause haemolytic transfusion reactions and/or haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). The lab will do the utmost to provide suitable units, however sometimes urgency warrants the issue of potentially incompatible units.
The flowchart below is a guide to the process:
Blood transfusion
A blood transfusion is when you're given blood from someone else (a donor). It's a very safe procedure that can be lifesaving.