Warm-Reactive Autoantibodies - Introduction:
This module will expand on antibody investigations with a focus on autoantibodies. The first part of the module will discuss an approach to warm reactive autoantibodies followed by a brief section on cold agglutinins.
Autoantibodies can make the interpretation of routine transfusion investigations difficult due to their pan-reactive nature. The primary goal for the serologist in investigating autoantibodies is to minimize the risk of incompatible transfusion due to any underlying alloantibodies, which may be masked. When reporting the presence of an autoantibody, it is also important to notify the clinician that the autoantibody itself may be clinically significant.
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