[A pregnant woman with irregular erythrocyte antibodies for whom no compatible packed red blood cells were available].
A 45-year-old woman underwent a Caesarean section at a gestational age of over 32 weeks. Screening for irregular erythrocyte antibodies in the transfusion laboratory yielded a positive result. It appeared that the patient had for several years been known to have antibodies against At(a), a high-frequency antigen that may cause severe transfusion reactions when incompatible packed cells are administered. No autologous donated blood was available and the only compatible At(a)-negative unit of packed cells in the Blood Bank of the Council of Europe was damaged during the thawing process. A cell saver was therefore used during the Caesarean section, and family members were summoned for donation. This case report illustrates the necessity of a transfusion plan for pregnant women with (rare) irregular antibodies.
Boonstra
J G
JG
Afd. Klinische Chemie, Erasmus MC-Daniel den Hoed Oncologisch Centrum, Postbus 5201, 3008 AE, Rotterdam. j.boonstra@erasmusmc.nl
Overbeeke
M A M
MA
de Rijke
Y B
YB
Duvekot
J J
JJ
D001782:Blood Donors; D001787:Blood Group Incompatibility; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D002585:Cesarean Section; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome
D007518:Isoantibodies