Blood Groups

Question 1

What is used to supplement blood?

Answer 1

Crystalloid solutions (glucose-saline)
Blood plasma (severe burns)
Whole blood (blood loss)

Question 2

What occurs when an incorrect blood transfusion occurs?

Answer 2

RBC’s from donor agglutinate and haemolyse which blocks blood flow in capillaries. Haemoglobin also interrupts with kidney fucntion.

Question 3

What is hemopure and how is it sourced?

Answer 3

It is sourced from bovine blood, it is suitable for all blood types and patients that object to blood transfusions. It carries oxygen outside of RBC’s.

Question 4

What is erythroblastosis foetalis ?

Answer 4

Haemolytic disease of the newborn due to Rh
incompatibility
This condition presents when the father and
child are Rh+ and the mother Rh^-

Question 5

What are clinical syndromes of erythroblastosis ?

Answer 5

 Icterus gravis neonatorum:
Haemolytic jaundice, anaemia
↑ reticulocyte count and presence of erythroblasts

 Kernicterus:
The newborn baby has a low bilirubin binding capacity
(low albumin levels)
→ unconjugated bile pigments may pass into brain of the
baby (blood-brain barrier not functional yet)
→ deposit of bile pigments in basalganglia
→ impairment of motoric function

Question 6

Treatments of erythroblastosis

Answer 6

Prevent mother from producing anti RH antibodies.
The mother is given a serum containing anti RH antibodies within 3 days which interfere with her reaction to infants RH+ cells

Successive withdrawal of small quantities of blood and replacement by equal volumes of compatible RH- blood which removes doomed RBC’s and most antibodies