Answer
ABO typing and cross-matching should be done in this case, as in all cases of proposed transfusion of human blood or blood products. However, in this case the patient is pregnant and therefore her baby is at risk for developing hemolytic disease of the newborn. It is necessary, therefore, to know the if the blood to be transfused, the prospective mother's blood, and the blood of the fetus are Rh+ve or Rh-ve.
Work Step by Step
ABO typing and cross-matchng should be done in this case, as in all cases of proposed transfusion of human blood or blood products. However, in this case the patient is pregnant and therefore her baby is at risk for developing hemolytic disease of the newborn. It is necessary, therefore, to know the if the blood to be transfused, the prospective mother's blood, and the blood of the fetus are Rh+ve or Rh-ve . If the blood to be donated is Rh+ve and the mother has Rh agglutinins in her blood ( due to a previous RH+ve pregnancy) the mother's plasma ant-D antibodies would clump the transfused red blood cells. This could spell trouble for the fetus, especially if it is also Rh+ve. The best choice for transfusion into this mother would Type O-ve negative whole blood.
