Rh Status and Antibody Screen
Courtney Forney
What Is Rh Factor???
There are different major blood groups like type A and B. There is also a Rh Factor, which is a protein that can be present on the surface of red blood cells. Most people who have it are Rh positive. Others who don't are Rh negative
How does a person get it ??
It is inherited, passed down through a parents genes to their children.
If you're Rh-negative and you've been pregnant before but didn't get this shot, another routine prenatal blood test will tell you whether you already have the antibodies that attack Rh-positive blood. (You could have them even if you miscarried the baby, or had an abortion)
Antibody Screen Test???
The antibody screening test performed in a clinical laboratory and/or blood bank is designed to detect the presence of unexpected antibodies, especially alloantibodies in the serum to antigens of the non-ABO blood group system.
Antibody screening test, as part of pretransfusion compatibility testing (see Miscellaneous), along with the type and crossmatch, prevents transfusion reactions such as hemolysis from occurring.