Clinical and serologic management of patients with methyldopa-induced positive antiglobulin tests.
Methyldopa can produce both a positive direct antiglobulin test and less commonly a positive indirect antiglobulin test. When the drug-induced antibody is present in the serum, it acts as a panagglutinin and reacts with all normal red blood cells; consequently crossmatch-compatible blood cannot be prepared. Although the methyldopa-induced antibody itself rarely produces hemolysis, difficulties can arise in previously unscreened patients in whom the panagglutinin may mask an unknown, pre-existing, and potentially hemolytic alloantibody. We report on our clinical and serologic management of 14 such patients for whom transfusions were requested.
D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003298:Coombs Test; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D006801:Humans; D008750:Methyldopa / Q000494:pharmacology*
D006388:Hemagglutinins; D008750:Methyldopa