All-round

Definition

What is blood group check?

Blood type check is a test that is done to find ABO and Rhesus (Rh) antigens in the blood of the donor and the blood of the person who will receive the donor. This test can also be used to determine the blood groups of pregnant women and newborns.

Blood type checks are performed so that you can safely donate blood or receive transfusions from other people. This examination is also done to see if you have a substance called rhesus factor (Rh) on the surface of your red blood cells or not.

Quoted from the American Red Cross, your blood type is determined based on the presence or absence of certain proteins in your red blood cells. These proteins are called antigens. In short, human blood is classified based on the presence of A and B antigens.

Antigen itself is a substance that can cause your immune system to produce antibodies to fight foreign substances in the body. When the body doesn't recognize a foreign substance, the immune system will try to fight it.

When should I have my blood group tested?

A blood group check is done to make sure you are donating blood or having a blood transfusion of the correct blood type. Otherwise, you will run into health risks that may threaten your life.

This examination is also to be able to determine the blood group of people who want to have children to assess the risk of Rh incompatible mother and child.

Blood type checks can also be used when someone wants to donate organs, tissue, or bone marrow, or someone who wants to donate blood. Sometimes, a blood group test is done as part of the process of determining heredity.

Precautions and warnings

What should I know before undergoing a blood type test?

Apart from the A and B antigens, blood has many different antigens. Having a rare blood type is a major problem when you need a blood transfusion.

The reason is, if the blood type transfusion does not match the patient's blood type, there will be a transfusion reaction that can endanger health.

Quoted from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, if a recipient who has blood type O receives a transfusion of non-group O red blood cells, anti-A and anti-B in the recipient's serum binds to the appropriate antigen on donor red blood cells.

These antibodies cause intravascular hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells that occur in blood vessels and cause the contents of red blood cells to be released into the blood plasma) and trigger acute hemolytic transfusion (a reaction due to red blood cell mismatch).

Incompatibility of donor blood with donor recipients can cause:

• Disseminated intravascular coagulation
• Shock
• Acute renal failure
• Dead

It is important that you understand the warnings and precautions before taking this test. If you have any questions, please consult your doctor for further information and instructions.

Process

How is the blood group check procedure?

Here are the steps you will take when checking your blood type:

• Put on an elastic belt in the hand to stop bleeding
• Clean the injection area with alcohol
• Inject a needle into a vein. Can be injected more than once if necessary
• Attaching a tube to drain blood
• Remove the tube after getting enough blood
• Putting a bandage or cotton pad on the injection site

The doctor or nurse will:

• Collect a blood sample in a tube
• Avoid hemolysis
• Correctly label blood tubes before they are put in the laboratory

You will not feel pain when the injection is done during the blood group check procedure. In some people, they may feel pain like being pierced with a needle.

When the needle is in the vein and starts to draw blood, most people don't feel any more pain. Generally, the level of pain depends on the ability of the nurse, the situation of the blood vessels, and your sensitivity to pain.

After drawing blood, you need to use a bandage and press it lightly on the tip of the needle to stop the bleeding. You will return to normal activities after this test.

How to determine blood group?

In ABO blood type determination, your blood sample is mixed with antibodies against blood types A and B. Then, the sample is checked to see if the blood cells are clotting together or not. If the blood cells stick together or clot, it means that the blood is reacting with one of the antibodies.

The second step after the ABO system is called redefinition. This examination is done by mixing the liquid part of the blood (serum) with blood known as types A and B.

• Blood type A has anti-B antibodies
• Blood type B has anti-A antibodies
• Type O blood contains both types of antibodies

The determination of the Rh factor in your blood uses a method similar to blood grouping in the ABO system. The presence or absence of the Rh antigen on the surface of the red blood cells determines the classification whether you are Rh positive or negative.

Explanation of the Test Results

What do my test results mean?

Here are the results you will get by checking your blood type:

ABO blood group system

If your blood cells remain intact when mixed with:

• Serum which contains antibodies against antigen A, you have blood group A
• Serum which contains antibodies against antigen B, you have blood type B
• Both serums contain antibodies that fight antigens A and B, you have type AB blood

If your blood cells do not clot when you add serum A and B antibodies, you have type O blood

Reserve identification

• If the blood cells only remain intact when blood type B is added to the sample, you have blood type A
• If the blood cells only remain intact when blood type A is added to the sample, you have blood type B
• If your blood cells only remain intact when you add blood type A or B, you have type O blood
• If the blood cells break down when blood type A or B is added to the sample, you have type AB blood

Rh factor

• If your blood cells can mix with antibodies against Rh, you have Rh positive blood
• If your blood cells do not mix when combined with antibodies against Rh, you have Rh negative blood

For a more complete explanation of the various possible blood types, consult a doctor.