Emergency/Uncrossed Risks

[bbbirder]

I am trying to find information for our Pathologists to give to Medical Staff about the potential risks of giving uncrossmatched blood vs. waiting for the crossmatch to be completed. (This would be for a new patient whose Antibody screen is not completed yet, so crossmatches are "partial".)

Is there any data published about how many people in the general population (%) have atypical antibodies? I assume it is very small.

Also, is there any data about transfusion reactions in patients with antibodies who are given "incompatible" blood or antigen untested units during an emergency? I assume that if they are bleeding that much the chances of transfusion reaction are reduced.

Thanks

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

As I understand it from the literature, it is between 1 and 2% of the population.

Like you, I think that if the patient is bleeding enough for uncross-matched blood to be given, any reaction will take place on the floor!

[L106]

I know the literature states between 1 and 2% of the population have atypical antibodies, but we are not dealing with the general population. We're are dealing with a lot of "frequent flyers." That is, at our hospital we find that probably about 50-70% of our crossmatch patients have a history of previous transfusions. Consequently, we find that between 5-10 % of our crossmatch patients have atypical antibodies.

I would like the physicians to have the mindset to give uncrossmatched blood "only when it is absolutely necessary", but I do want them to give it when it is "absolutely necessary". As one of my former supervisors used to say "I'd rather treat a patient for a transfusion reaction than to have a patient who is dead from exsanguination." (Scary, but true.)

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

I would agree with you about the higher percentage Lara.