Overview

• Major crossmatch detects antibodies in recipient plasma against donor red cells.
• Minor crossmatch detects antibodies in donor plasma against recipient red cells (due to dilution effect when plasma given).
• If no other donors available, blood with least cross match/incompatibility can be used as cells unlikely to be lysed rapidly.
• Naturally occuring alloantibodies to canine red cells antigens are unusual. First time transfusions seldom indicate cross match incompatibilities in the dog.
• Compatible transfusion should prevent hemolytic transfusion reactions Anemia: transfusion indications Blood: transfusion Blood types.

Sampling

Tests

Methodologies

Major crossmatch

• 1 drop of donor blood (in EDTA or acid citrate dextrose (ACD)), transferred to small glass tube.
• Wash red cells at 37°C by adding 1 ml warmed normal saline, centrifuging and pouring off saline.
• Repeat twice more.
• Resuspend 0.2 ml of washed red cells in 4.8 ml 0.9% saline.
• Add 2 drops of recipient serum (or EDTA plasma), to 2 drops of resuspended donor cells.
• Prepare 3 tubes.
• Incubate one at 37°C, one at 4°C and one at room temperature for 15 mins, then centrifuge 1000 rpm for 30 secs.
• Add 1 drop of 20% bovine serum albumin (BSA), and reincubate 15 mins.
• Check for visible hemolysis or agglutination.
• Tap tube to resuspend cells and transfer 2 drops to a glass slide and check for evidence of agglutination or rouleaux formation.

Minor crossmatch

• Donor plasma mixed with washed red cells from recipient and incubated as above.

Availability

• Widely available at commercial laboratories.
• Can easily be performed in practice.

Result Data

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from VetMedResource and PubMed.
• Giger U, Gelen C J, Callan M B & Oakley D A (1995) An acute hemolytic transfusion reaction caused by dog erythrocyte antigen 1.1 incompatibility in a previously sensitized dog. JAVMA 206 (9), 1358-1362.
• Hale A S (1995) Canine blood groups and their importance in veterinary transfusion medicine. Vet Clin N Am 25 (6), 1323-1332.