Cross Matching (compatibility test).

Performs usually, by using patient's serum and donor's cells. There are two
way to perform this test:
A. Routine Cross-Matching.
B. Urgent Cross-Matching.

A. Routine Cross-Matching:
Select donors units for cross matching on the basis of ABO and Rh
grouping.
Test the patient's serum against donor's cells by:
1- Place one drop of patient's serum in each of the three tubes labeled
Saline RT, Saline 37oC, Albumin and Coomb's.
2- Add one drop of 5% donor's cells suspension to tube 1,2 and 3. Add
5 drops in the fourth tube.
3- Mix all tubes, incubate the tube 2,3 and 4 in the water-bath at 37 oC,
while the first in the RT.
4- After one or one and a half hour, add one drop of Albumin to the
third tube, and incubate for another 30 minutes.
5- Read for agglutination in tube 1,2 and 3. If positive; report as
"incompatible", but if negative carry out the coomb's test in the forth
tube.
6- If there is no reaction "agglutination" after the coomb's test then
blood is regarded as compatible.

B. Urgent Cross-Matching:
An EDTA and a clotted sample should be obtained from patient before the
administration of any intravenous colloids. Select donors units for cross
matching on the basis of ABO and Rh grouping by the rapid method, using
the centrifugation of the tube for three minutes.
1. Mix 2 volumes of plasma/serum with 1 volume of 2-3% cells
suspended in PBS or LISS (or EDTA saline if serum is used).

2. Incubate at room temperature for 2-5 min to enhance the detection of

weak ABO antibodies.
3. Centrifuge at 100 g for 1 min.
4. Read the reaction carefully using a tip and roll technique.