Are there any drugs that can be given to a pt to PREVENT them from being sensitized to foreign Ag's?

[lalamb]

Is there such a beast? Like transplant anti-rejecion meds but for transfused blood?

If so, why doesn't averyone get it? No Ab's would be made, no Ab:Ag reactions to worry about and we'd all be out of a job...

[David Saikin]

Only Rh Immune globulin

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

Only Rh Immune globulin

An only then (he added cynically) if it is given to the correct person.

I've heard of cases where it has been given to the baby or the male partner!

:eek::eek:

[David Saikin]

There was a time (long ago and far away) when some docs thought it should be given to Rh= babies of Rh+ mothers . . .

[Liz]

oh no!!

And I use those as easy comic-relief questions in my exams.

What: to the husband! To the baby! right! forget the mother!!

Liz

[heathervaught]

In theory...I would imagine that any immunosuppressant drug would prevent alloimmunization (note: no medical basis for this, it's just an idea)...but the side effects of a drug are probably worse than developing an alloantibody. And you're never going to prevent anti-A and anti-B, so don't worry about being out of a job :-).

[adiescast]

I'm with Heather on this one. Immunosuppressive drugs (yuck!) could potentially prevent antibody production. It would not be worth it. Plus, there are many "naturally occuring" antibodies, even beyond anti-A and anti-B (and anti-A,. Not all antibodies are caused by transfusion.