Haematology (ABO, Rh) Flashcards
Who discovered circulation of blood in 1613?
English physician William Harvey
When was the first transplant successfully performed and by who? (treating post-partrum haemorrhage)
1818 by James Blundell
Who discovered the first 3 human blood groups (A,B and O) and in what year?
Karl Landsteiner 1900-1901
When was the 4th blood group (AB) discovered? By who?
1902
Landsteiners colleagues A. von Decastello and A. Sturli
What is the dominance between A, B and O? What about A1 and A2?
- A and B are codominant
- O is the recessive character
- A1 is dominant over A2
What is Landsteiner’s Law?
When an A or B antigen is not present of the red cells the corresponding antibody is found in the plasma
(e.g O type blood will have both anti-A and anti-B antibodies in the blood)
What can be the result of anti-A and anti-B antibodies in improper transfusion?
- Causes intravascular haemolysis
- Almost all fatal reactions caused by ABO incompatibility
What anti-antibodies will you have if you have A, B O or AB blood?
A = Anti-B B = Anti-A O = Anti-A and B AB = none
What is ‘complete antibody’?
When an IgM antibody links 2 red cells together
- forms a agglutinate
- IgM are large and so are able to bind 2 RBCs at once
What is an ‘incomplete antibody’?
- IgG binds to one RBC only
- IgG are small
- Red cells have negative charge, can’t get close enough to eachother to be bound by small IgG
What type are all the antibodies against the ABO blood group?
IgM
What type are all the antibodies against the Rh blood group?
IgG
What are trans-placental tears?
Small tears in the placenta that allow momement of blood and antibodies between mother and foetus (IgG are so small they can cross)
When was the Rh Blood Group System first described and by who?
Levine and Stetson in 1939
What are the 3 antigens in the Rh blood group?
D, C and E (and d,c and e)
