header
  Search CBBS Website

Are institutions following the recommendation that women, regardless of inital Rh type, be tested at least twice for RhD during their first pregnancy?

A colleague in Michigan asks if institutions are following the recommendation (Judd WJ. Practice guidelines for prenatal and perinatal immunohematology revisited. Transfusion 2001;41:1445-52) that women, regardless of inital Rh type, be tested at least twice for RhD during their first pregnancy? He points out that ideally this would be at their first trimester visit, then at 26-28 weeks' gestation. The rationale is that if an Rh-negative woman is mistyped as Rh-positive, she will not receive RhIG prophylaxis at the beginning of her third trimester. He asks to what extent is this recommendation being followed.

Please submit comments to the e-Network Forum.

Ira A. Shulman, MD
CBBS e-Network Forum Editor & Moderator

W. Tait Stevens, MD
CBBS e-Network Forum Assistant Editor & Moderator
Printable PDF of this page


Posted: Mar. 30, 2007

Addenda:

The e-Network Forum is supported in part by the California Blood Bank Society (CBBS) and the American Red Cross Blood Services (ARCBS) and endorses collegial discussion among blood banking and transfusion medicine professionals. However, neither the CBBS nor the ARCBS in any way endorse the specific views and opinions expressed in the forum. The forum is not intended as a substitute for medical or legal advice and the content should not be relied upon for any medical or legal purposes. Readers should make their own determinations as to: (i) what constitutes appropriate medical, technical, and administrative practices, and (ii) how best to comply with laws and regulations relevant to their questions. For the latter, they should consider consulting, as to any medical matters, a qualified physician, and, as to any legal matters, an attorney familiar with related state and federal laws. The user of the forum, by accessing same, assumes all risks arising out of such use and releases CBBS and their respective members, directors, officers and agents from and against any loss, damage, claim or liability arising out of such use of the Forum.