Blood Transfusion

Question 1

why transfuse blood?

Answer 1

bleeding

failure of production

Question 2

Blood types - 4 main categories

Answer 2

A

B

AB

O

Question 3

what blood groups are codominant and which are recessive?

Answer 3

A and B are codominant

O is recessive

Question 4

which blood group type is a non-functional allele?

Answer 4

O

Question 5

which blood group can blood type O donate to?

Answer 5

all types

Question 6

which blood group can blood type A donate to?

Answer 6

A and AB

Question 7

which blood group can blood type B donate to?

Answer 7

B and AB

Question 8

which blood group can blood type AB donate to?

Answer 8

AB

Question 9

what do you screen for in a blood donor?

Answer 9

‘behavioural’ screening

sex, age, travel, tattoos

Hep B/C/E, HIV, Syphilis

Question 10

indications for a red cell transfusion:

Answer 10

correct severe acute anaemia

improve QoL

prepare for surgery/ speed up recovery

reverse damage caused by patients own cells (sickle cell disease)

Question 11

if the mother has Rh negative blood cells and the baby has Rh positive blood cells - what is the risk?

what is this risk called?

Answer 11

the mother might develop Anti-D antibodies to the baby and give the baby haemolytic anaemia

sensitisation

Question 12

what is haemolytic anaemia?

Answer 12

blood cells are destroyed faster than they are made

Question 13

what situations would you give a platelet transfusion?

Answer 13

massive haemorrhage

bone marrow failure

prophylaxis for surgery

cardiopulmonary bypass

Question 14

what does A/B/O etc mean??

what does +/- mean?

Answer 14

A/B/AB/O are your blood types

+/- is your rhesus status

Question 15

when the antigen is ON the red blood cell- what rhesus status are you?

Answer 15

positive

Question 16

when there is NO antigen on the red blood cell - what rhesus are you?

Answer 16

negative

Question 17

what would happen if the mother is rhesus positive and the baby is rhesus negative?

Answer 17

nothing - mother has the antigen so there is no need to treat anything

Question 18

what would happen if the mother is rhesus negative and the baby is rhesus positive?

Answer 18

the mother may attack the babies positive antigen on the RBC

Question 19

when would a rhesus negative mother attack a rhesus positive baby?

Answer 19

miscarriage at 12 weeks

birth

bleeding from placenta (possible abdominal trauma)

(next baby!)

Question 20

how do you treat rhesus negative mothers?

Answer 20

give them anti-D immunoglobulins

Question 21

when do you give anti-D immunoglobulins to rhesus negative mothers?

Answer 21

when they miscarry at 12 weeks ish

birth

bleeding from placenta
(anytime baby and mothers blood might come into contact!)

routinely at 28 weeks

Question 22

why give anti-D immunoglobulins to rhesus negative mothers?

Answer 22

to destroy all baby’s blood in the mother - to ensure the mothers antibodies doesn’t attack the baby’s blood cells

Question 23

what could happen to the baby if a Rhesus negative mother is not treated with anti-D immunoglobulins?

Answer 23

haemolytic anaemia

jaundice (increased bilirubin)

(haemolytic disease of the newborn)

Question 24

how do you give anti-D immunoglobulins to a mother?

Answer 24

you give her an IM injection

Question 25

when a rhesus negative mother attacks a rhesus positive baby’s blood cells (by producing anti-D antibodies!) - what is this called?

Answer 25

sensitisation

Question 26

what does coombs test reveal?

Answer 26

haemolytic anaemia

it shows antibodies on the surface of the red blood cell

(pregnant women get this test!)

Question 27

when is Anti-D immunoglobulins given to pregnant rhesus negative women?

Answer 27

routinely at 28 weeks gestation