What is the purpose of using a cold agglutinin test in pre-transfusion testing?
A
To detect the presence of anti-A or anti-B antibodies
B
To detect the presence of cold agglutinins that can cause hemolysis at cold temperatures
✓
C
To determine the ABO blood group of a patient
D
To detect the presence of antibodies against human leukocyte antigens
Explanation
Cold agglutinins are antibodies that can cause hemolysis at cold temperatures. The cold agglutinin test is used to detect their presence in a patient's serum, which can help prevent hemolytic reactions during transfusion.
Source
Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute
Hematology
Hematology: Blood Grouping and Crossmatching
Hematology: Blood Grouping and Crossmatching
Medium
MEDICAL
Confidence: high
