Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook

8-59

Lab Procedure: ABO Grouping and Confirmation Tests

18D Skills and Training Manual

When: You need to determine a patient's blood type.

What You Need: 10 x 75 mm test tubes, a test tube rack, an indelible marker, disposable transfer pipettes,
reagents, a processing worksheet, a logbook, a centrifuge (calibrated to 1000 RCF @ 3175 rpm), and an
AABB Technical Manual (TM 8-227-3).

What To Do:

1. Prepare the equipment and the specimen.
   a. Obtain a test tube rack.
   b. Place the patient/donor blood tube and serum tube in the rack.
   c. Prepare a 2 to 5% cell suspension from the blood tube.
   d. Obtain five test tubes, label them properly, and place them in the rack.
   (1)Label tube # 1, “A” with the patient ID number.
   (2)Label tube # 2, “B” with the patient ID number.
   (3)Label tube # 3, “A,B” with the patient ID number.
   (4)Label tube # 4, “AC” with the patient ID number.
   (5)Label tube # 5, “BC” with the patient ID number.


2. Prepare the specimen for group testing.
   a. Add 1 drop of “Anti-A” reagent and 1 drop of the patient’s cell suspension to the tube marked “A”.
   b. Add 1 drop of “Anti-B” reagent and 1 drop of the patient’s cell suspension to the tube marked “B”.
   c. Add 1 drop of “Anti-A,B” reagent and 1 drop of the patient’s cell suspension to the tube marked
   “A,B”.
   d. Add 2 drops of the patient’s serum and 1 drop of “A” cells to the tube marked “AC”.
   e. Add 2 drops of the patient’s serum and 1 drop of “B” cells to tube marked “BC”.


3. Perform the ABO group test.
   a. Mix each tube by gentle shaking.
   b. Centrifuge the test tubes for 15 seconds.
   c. Examine each tube for hemolysis.
   d. Examine each tube for agglutination.
   (1)Write “+”on the worksheet for agglutination.
   (2)Write “O” on the worksheet for no agglutination.
   NOTE: Grade the degree of agglutination: +/-, 1+, 2+, 3+, or 4+; and annotate hemolysis.


4. Interpret the results of the tests and determine the blood group.


5. Record the results in the logbook and on the laboratory request form.

Lab Procedure: Rh Typing

18D Skills and Training Manual

When: You need to determine a patient's Rh type.

What You Need: 10 x 75 mm test tubes, an indelible marker, a test tube rack, disposable transfer pipets,
prepared reagents: anti-Rh (D) typing serum and 22% bovine albumin (control), a processing worksheet, a
logbook, a centrifuge (calibrated to 1000 RCF @ 3175 rpm), and an AABB Technical Manual (TM 8-227-3).

What To Do:

1. Prepare the equipment and the specimen.
   a. Obtain a test tube rack.
   b. Place the patient’s blood specimen in the rack.