
An individual who has never received a blood transfusion is unlikely to possess any antibodies. Before any blood transfusion is given, the hospital would check the patient’s ABO and Rh group and test to see if the blood contained antibodies to a selection of other blood groups. Why do we need blood with these special groups?īriefly, for patients with these special groups. When we look at some of the other blood group systems we can see some interesting differences between their distribution in black and white people: Group B is fairly uncommon in Europeans – 14%, but 35% of Chinese have this group. For example, 85% of Europeans are Rh (Rhesus) D positive, about 95% of West Africans are Rh D positive but among the Chinese the figure is 100%. Very often it is, because the distribution of blood groups varies throughout the world. Is blood from Afro-Caribbean donors different? When we look at these we realise that the combinations are endless, and that no two people (except identical twins) will have exactly the same blood groups.

However, there are many more blood groups (about 23) which can be identified. When you become a blood donor you are grouped as Group O, Group A, Group B or Group AB, and your blood donor certificate book also tells you whether you are Rh (Rhesus) D negative or positive. It is not endorsed by the Sickle Cell Society and does not form part of our Information Standard-accredited information The information presented in this article came from the Blood Transfusion ServiceĪs you probably know, your blood group is inherited from your parents. To find out if you’re eligible, and to learn more, visit the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood website or call 13 14 95.This is a report on external research. People with type AB or type B can donate plasma, which is vital for patients with injury, severe burns or blood diseases.ĭonating blood can save someone else’s life. For example, whole blood from type A, type O positive and type O negative is always needed. Why donating blood is importantĭonated blood can be turned into different medical treatments, depending on which blood type you have. This could be life threatening so you would need treatment quickly. If you did get the wrong blood type, you could have a serious reaction. Receiving the wrong blood type in a transfusion is extremely rare. You will also have careful identification checks before the transfusion to make sure you receive the right blood type. All blood is rigorously checked for infections such as HIV and hepatitis. If you need a transfusion, you will receive blood that has been collected by Australian Red Cross Lifeblood from voluntary donors. People may need a blood transfusion if they lose a lot of blood their blood is low in certain components such as red cells, platelets or plasma because they have a medical condition such as cancer, anaemia or a bleeding disorder or because they are having surgery. Type B is more common in South Asian and black communities. Type A platelets (a component of blood that is important for clotting) can be safely given to any patient. O- can be safely given to any patient, regardless of their blood type. The table below lists each of the blood types, including how common they are across the Australian population. The most common blood type in Australia is O positive and the least common is AB negative. More than 4 out of 5 Australians are Rh positive.

If there is no RhD antigen, the blood is Rhesus negative. If there is an antigen called the RhD antigen, the blood is Rhesus positive. The Rhesus system looks at different antigens on the surface of the red blood cells. These names indicate whether the blood’s red cells carry the A antigen, the B antigen, both A and B antigens, or neither antigen.Įach of the 4 blood groups can be classified as either Rhesus positive or Rhesus negative. There are 4 different blood types – A, B, AB and O.

If you need a blood transfusion and you do not know your blood type, or your blood type is not available, then there are other blood types that can be safely given to anyone.

It is also possible for a mother and her baby to have incompatible blood types, and this will need treatment while the mother is pregnant. If someone receives blood with the wrong sort of chemicals, the body’s immune system could attack it. This is because it is very dangerous if you are given the wrong blood type. Different blood types do not mix.Ī blood test is done to find out the blood type before a blood transfusion, major surgery or having a baby. Someone’s blood type is decided by the genes they inherit from their parents. The chemicals on the outside of the blood cells are called antigens.
