In
conversation with one of the trainees the other day it turned out that she had been
specifically advised to avoid issuing c-positive blood to women of
child-bearing age if it was at all possible to do so.
Obviously
the reason is to avoid sensitisation and potential Rh disease due to
anti-c, but with the rarity of c-negative donor units this isn’t always
possible.
Whilst
I’ve often had this idea of giving Rh matched blood when possible, it isn’t really
a practical idea. But avoiding giving c-positive blood? I discussed the matter
with a colleague, and I've been thinking on the matter.
.
Obviously
the c antigen is rather antigenic. It can cause a particularly nasty
transfusion reaction and haemolytic
disease of the newborn.
However
c-negative people aren’t *that*
common. Twenty per cent of the Caucasian population of the UK and four per cent of those of African
extraction are c-negative. Compare this to ninety per cent of the population
being Kell-negative.
Mind
you I’m D-negative myself and I don’t want anti-D.
Perhaps
I might bear this in mind myself in future…
