A person with anti-A and anti-B antibodies in their blood has what blood type? & x20; - SJH Nursing Officer - 2019

SJH Nursing Officer - 2019

Applied Physiology

Medium

Appeared in: SJH Nursing Officer - 2019

Explanation

According to the ABO blood group system, Type O blood is defined by the absence of both A and B antigens on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs).
Landsteiner's Law dictates that if a specific antigen is not present on the RBCs, the corresponding antibody will be present in the plasma.
Therefore, an individual whose blood contains both anti-A and anti-B antibodies must lack both A and B antigens, which is the characteristic of Type O blood.

Option A: A person with Type A blood has A antigens on their red blood cells and only anti-B antibodies in their plasma.
Option B: A person with Type B blood has B antigens on their red blood cells and only anti-A antibodies in their plasma.
Option C: A person with Type AB blood has both A and B antigens on their red blood cells and, as a result, has no anti-A or anti-B antibodies in their plasma.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing ABO blood group system helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Understanding the ABO system is critical for safe blood transfusions. Giving a Type O patient incompatible blood (e.g., Type A, B, or AB) would cause their anti-A and/or anti-B antibodies to attack the donor red cells, leading to a life-threatening acute hemolytic transfusion reaction.
Individuals with Type O negative blood are known as 'universal donors' for red blood cells because their RBCs lack A, B, and Rh antigens, making them safe to transfuse to almost any recipient in an emergency.
What if? If a patient with Type O blood needed a plasma transfusion, they could only receive plasma from a Type O donor. Plasma from A, B, or AB donors contains antibodies that would be incompatible.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question testing knowledge of the ABO blood group system.
Identify the key information provided in the stem: the presence of both 'anti-A' and 'anti-B' antibodies in the blood.
Recall the fundamental principle of the ABO system (Landsteiner's Law): the antibodies present in the plasma are the opposite of the antigens present on the red blood cells.
Reason that if both anti-A and anti-B antibodies are present, it must mean that neither A nor B antigens are on the red blood cells.
Identify the blood type that is defined by the absence of both A and B antigens.
Select the option that corresponds to this blood type, which is Type O.

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