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Blood typing

• Overview
• Risks
• Results

Alternative Names:

Cross matching; Rh typing; ABO blood typing

What the risks are:

Risks associated with taking blood may include:

• Fainting or feeling light-headed
• Multiple punctures to locate veins
• Excessive bleeding
• Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
• Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)

Special considerations:

There are many antigens besides the major ones (A, B, and Rh). Many minor ones are not routinely detected during blood typing. If they are not detected, you may have a reaction when receiving certain types of blood.

A process called cross-matching followed by a Coombs' test can help detect these minor antigens.

• Review Date: 9/11/2006
• Reviewed By: Corey Cutler, MD, MPH, FRCP(C), Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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