Blood grouping is one of the most important steps in medical science, especially before blood transfusion, organ transplant, or pregnancy care. While most people are familiar with forward blood grouping (testing a person’s red blood cells), fewer know about reverse blood grouping—an equally essential step to confirm accuracy. What is Reverse Blood Grouping? Reverse blood grouping, also known as serum grouping or back typing, is a laboratory test used to identify the antibodies present in a person’s plasma/serum. In this test, the patient’s serum is mixed with known red blood cells (A, B, and O cells). The reaction (clumping or no clumping) helps detect the natural antibodies and confirms the person’s blood group. It is called reverse because, unlike forward grouping (which looks at antigens on red cells), this test looks at the antibodies in plasma. Why is Reverse Blood Grouping Important? 1. Accuracy Check – It cross-verifies the results of forward blood grouping. 2. Error Detect...
Introduction Blood transfusions are life-saving, but they also carry risks if compatibility is not carefully verified. One of the most critical safety checks is crossmatching, performed in the blood bank before transfusion. In this post on Health Raise, we’ll break down how crossmatch testing is performed, its types, and its role in ensuring transfusion safety. [Blood Compatibility Chart – ABO & Rh System] 1. What is Crossmatching? Crossmatching is a laboratory procedure used to assess compatibility between a donor’s red blood cells and a recipient’s plasma. It aims to detect any immune reaction that may occur if the recipient's body recognizes the donor blood as foreign. There are two main types: Major Crossmatch – Tests recipient plasma against donor red cells. Minor Crossmatch – Tests donor plasma against recipient red cells (rarely used today due to component therapy). --- 2. Pre-Crossmatch Preparations Sample Collection: Blood is drawn from both donor and recipient, label...