Blood Type Test

ABO Blood Typing, Rh Blood Typing

Results

Blood type tests are done before a person gets a blood transfusion and to check a pregnant woman's blood type. The following table shows the compatibility of blood types between blood donors and recipients.

Read the table as follows: A person who has A-negative blood can receive A-negative or O-negative blood.

Blood types that match

A person who has:	Can receive:
A- blood	A-, O- blood
A+ blood	A-, A+, O-, O+ blood
B- blood	B-, O- blood
B+ blood	B-, B+, O-, O+ blood
AB- blood	AB-, O- blood
AB+ blood	AB-, AB+, A-, A+, B-, B+, O-, O+ blood
O- blood	O- blood
O+ blood	O-, O+ blood

Minor antigens (other than A, B, and Rh) on the red blood cells are also checked for a match before a blood transfusion.

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Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS	Last Updated: June 12, 2008
Medical Review:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease
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