False Reactions With Rh Typing Reagents
FALSE-POSITIVES
1. Cell suspension too heavy
2. Cold agglutinins
3. Test incubated too long or
drying (slide)
4. Rouleaux
5. Fibrin interference
6. Containing low-incidence
antibody in reagent
7. Polyagglutination
8. Bacterial contamination of
reagent vial
9. Incorrect reagent selected
10. Centrifugation too long
11. rpm too high
FALSE-NEGATIVES
1. Adjust suspension, retype
2. Wash with warm saline,
retype
3. Follow manufacturer’s
instructions precisely
4. Use saline-washed cells,
retype
5. Use saline-washed cells,
retype
6. Try another manufacturer’s
reagent or use a known serum
antibody
8. Open new vial of reagent,
retype
9. Repeat test; read vial
label carefully
10. Repeat test using shorter
centrifugation time
11. Repeat test using lower rpm
1. Immunoglobulin-coated cells
(in vivo)
2. Saline-suspended cells (slide)
3. Failure to follow
manufacturer’s directions
precisely
4. Omission of reagent
manufacturer’s directions
5. Vigorous shaking during
resuspension
6. Incorrect reagent selected
7. Variant antigen
8. Reagent deterioration
9. Centrifugation too short
10. rpm too low
1. Use saline-active typing reagent
2. Use unwashed cells
3. Review directions; repeat test
4. Always add reagent first and
check
before adding cells
5. Resuspend all tube tests
gently
6. Read vial label carefully;
repeat
7. Refer sample for further
investigation
8. Open new vial
9. Repeat test using longer
centrifugation time
10. Repeat testing using higher
rpm