A patient presented in the emergency room needing to be transfused ASAP. According to the computer, the patient had a Kell antibody five years ago. The antibody screen is negative now. Of the following, the best procedure to obtain suitable blood for transfusion is:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the patient had a Kell antibody before and the antibody screen is now negative, it is still possible that the patient may have formed the antibody again, which could cause a hemolytic transfusion reaction. Therefore, it is important to antigen type the units for Kell and completely crossmatch the negative ones to ensure compatibility and reduce the risk of a transfusion reaction. Immediate spin crossmatch compatible blood (option A) and assuming the electronic crossmatch is acceptable (option D) are not sufficient precautions when dealing with antibodies that could cause hemolytic transfusion reactions. Taking the time to crossmatch the units of blood through the AHG phase (option B) can be beneficial, but antigen typing the units for Kell and completely crossmatching the negative ones is still the best choice.

A Patient Presented in the Emergency Room Needing to Be