Which one of the following blood group is universal recipient?

Appeared in: RRB Staff Nurse Kolkata-2015

Explanation

Blood group AB is known as the 'universal recipient'.
This is because individuals with AB blood have both A and B antigens on their red blood cells (RBCs).
Crucially, their plasma contains no anti-A or anti-B antibodies, which would otherwise attack foreign blood cells.
The absence of these antibodies allows them to safely receive red blood cells from any ABO blood group (A, B, AB, and O).

Option A: Individuals with blood group A have anti-B antibodies in their plasma, which would cause a transfusion reaction if they received B or AB blood.
Option B: Individuals with blood group O have both anti-A and anti-B antibodies, so they can only receive O blood. They are known as universal donors, not recipients.
Option D: Individuals with blood group B have anti-A antibodies in their plasma, which would cause a transfusion reaction if they received A or AB blood.

Visual 1: Infographic: A chart showing the four main ABO blood types, detailing the antigens on the red blood cells and the antibodies in the plasma for each type.
Visual 2: Diagram: A visual representation of blood transfusion compatibility, with arrows indicating which blood types can safely donate to and receive from others.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing ABO Blood Grouping and Transfusion Compatibility helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Accurate blood typing and cross-matching are critical nursing responsibilities before any blood transfusion to prevent life-threatening hemolytic transfusion reactions.
In an emergency where the patient's blood type is unknown, O-negative red blood cells are typically used because they are least likely to cause a reaction (universal donor).
What if the question asked for the universal plasma donor? The answer would be AB, because AB plasma contains no antibodies and can be given to patients of any blood type.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question: 'universal recipient'.
Recall the definition of a universal recipient: a person who can receive blood from any other blood group.
Think about the immunology of blood groups. A recipient's immune system (antibodies) must not attack the donor's blood cells (antigens).
For a person to be a universal recipient, their plasma must lack the antibodies that attack common blood antigens (i.e., no anti-A and no anti-B antibodies).
Recall which blood group has this characteristic. Blood group AB has both A and B antigens but no corresponding antibodies in the plasma.
Therefore, select AB as the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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