Blood Physiology and Pathophysiology Lecture Notes PDF

 Compatibility of blood types Knowledge of a individual's blood type is important to identify appropriate blood for transfusion. Blood transfusions between donor and recipient of incompatible blood types can cause severe acute immunological reactions, hemolysis (RBCs...

 Compatibility of blood types Knowledge of a individual's blood type is important to identify appropriate blood for transfusion. Blood transfusions between donor and recipient of incompatible blood types can cause severe acute immunological reactions, hemolysis (RBCs destruction), renal failure, shock, and sometimes death. Antibodies can be highly active and can attack RBCs (by binding to antigens on the surface of transfused RBCs) and cause hemolysis of the transfused blood. It is preferable for people to receive blood that match their own blood (same blood group) or blood from another group that their immune system won’t react with it to minimize the risk of a transfusion reaction. The risk can be reduced by blood typing or cross-matching blood. Cross-matching involves mixing a sample of the recipient's blood with a sample of the donor's blood to see if the mixture agglutinates. If agglutination occurs, the donor's blood cannot be transfused to that recipient.  Blood Transfusion ABO and Rh blood groups must be compatible between the donor blood and the patient blood.