Anti-M: Significant or Insignificant

[ABQ bloodbanker]

I have seen a few significant Anti-M's in my day, but I don't want to go overboard and treat every Anti-M that we see in gel as significant and have to antigen type units. Currently, we just do crossmatch compatible units, however, this doesn't work if the patient has a current negative antibody screen, or if its very weak.

Any suggestions?

We really don't want to go back to tube testing and test all 3 phases.....

Denise

[Eagle Eye]

We give extended crossmatch compatible by gel units. If screening is negative, still do the same thing.

[Mabel Adams]

If you only pick up an anti-M at room temp, then it isn't clinically significant and a gel xm is fine. If you do pick it up in gel, and it is strong at immed. spin, I sometimes do an immediate spin xm using the patient's sample to tell me which units to take through gel xms. Basically using the patient's sample to antigen type the units. We don't keep commercial anti-M since it is never necessary to antigen type units for it per Issitt.

[jhaig]

If you can't see it in gel, it's probably not clinically significant. AHG crossmatches in gel should be fine, but still do the procedure even if the current antibody screen is negative.

Tube testing? What's tube testing?:cool: