Hi, I'm looking for any info on the test-Super DAT. Procedures and references and when and why it is used. I have just heard of this. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

We used to do a procedure for super Dat at my former place of employment. It was done in a similar way to a fetal screen. Patient cells were incubated with anti-AHG for 15 to 30 minutes at 37 degrees. Then they are washed 4 times with saline. Then add anti-AHG. It is used to detect cells that are very weakly sensitized with IgG. I don't have access the full procedure though. Maybe someone else on the forum does this.

Would this "super" DAT be clinically relevant???

Prior to understanding a "Super" DAT, I once told a physican that we would do a regular DAT for him and do it super well and super fast. (He didn't laugh.)

However, I do now understand it a little better. It is useful when a physican is diagnosing a patient with an autoimmune disorder as this can be difficult when the patient's DAT is negative. The super DAT procedure can detect 50 IgG molecules attached to the red blood cell surface; whereas, the regular DAT can only detect 500 IgG molecules.

Also, the super DAT can be helpful in diagnosing HDN or a transfusion reactions when the regular DAT is negative by identifying a very small population of cells with IgG attached.