Anti-D and Control Card

[flaminredfirebird]

We currently are still doing our confirmatory testing on our units from our blood supplier in test tubes. I just ordered some A/B and Anti-D gel cards from Ortho to begin typing these units in gel. While reading over the Anti-D gel card instructions for use I noticed that the procedure calls for the use of the Monoclonal Control Card along with the Anti-D card. My understanding is that the control card is only used to check for false positive test results on Rh types. Since these cards will only be used for unit confirmatory testing and we only do Rh typing on Rh negative units when confirming them, is the control card still necessary?

[David Saikin]

No - your anti-A and anti-B will act as your Rh control. Why didn't you get the ABD cards for your Rh= retypes? (you can also use them for forward typing on pts).

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

I think, although I am not certain about this, that Ortho say that because an AB, D Positive individual will give positive results in all three columns and, therefore, without a negative control, you would not know if the reactions are because of a genuine AB, D Positive group, or because of the red cells being coated in, for example, an IgM "cold" reacting auto-antibody, and actually being, again, for example, a group O, D Negative.

I am quite prepared to be told that I am talking nonsense about this!!!!!!!!!!

[David Saikin]

They are just using the cards to retype units . . . no need for the RhCt with the AB.

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

Oh no, I understand that David. WHat I meant was that I think that is why Ortho put that into their instructions, because the cards are really designed to group patients.

[flaminredfirebird]

Thanks for the quick replies! I don't know why I didn't consider the A/B as a control. David, as far as us ordering the A/B/D cards, I was told that these could only be ordered in a box of 100 rather than a sleeve of 20 as the Anti-D are. We are a very small hospital and only receive approx 50-60 units per month with not even a third of these being Rh negative. I am afraid the A/B/D cards would expire way before we could use all of them. Thanks for your help!