Cross-match

Definition

Cross-match is a laboratory test used to ensure compatibility between donor and recipient blood before transfusion. It involves mixing small samples of the donor's and recipient's blood to check for agglutination or hemolysis.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Cross-match tests are crucial in preventing transfusion reactions by ensuring that donor and recipient blood types are compatible.
2. The test detects both major (recipient serum against donor cells) and minor (donor serum against recipient cells) incompatibilities.
3. Agglutination during a cross-match indicates the presence of antibodies that will react against the donor's antigens, making the blood incompatible.
4. Modern cross-matching can involve both serological methods and molecular techniques to detect incompatibilities at a genetic level.
5. An immediate-spin cross-match checks for ABO compatibility, while an antiglobulin cross-match also screens for other antibodies.

Related terms

Agglutination Assay: A method used to detect the presence of antibodies in which particles clump together.

Antiglobulin Test (Coombs Test): A test that detects antibodies bound to red blood cell surfaces.

Hemolysis:

The destruction of red blood cells leading to the release of hemoglobin into the bloodstream.