EVALUATION OF METHODS FOR DETECTION AND QUANTITATION OF FETAL CELLS AND THEIR EFFECT ON RHLGG USAGE

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 76  (4) , 525-529
Abstract
A 1980 College of American Pathologists Immunohematology Survey included 2 erythrocyte suspensions, one with and one without fetal cells, designed to evaluate methods for detecting and quantitating fetomaternal hemorrhage in Rh Ig candidates. Data from a supplementary questionnaire regarding Rh Ig administration during 1979 were compared by methods used. The most commonly used screening test was the microscopic Du. With this test, 12.2% of nearly 2000 laboratories obtained a false negative result on an unknown which contained .apprx. 0.6% Rh positive erythrocytes. On this 100% adult cell suspension, 2/3 of laboratories using acid elution techniques reported the presence of fetal cells. Laboratories using Fetaldex to screen for and quantitate fetomaternal hemorrhage had the highest rate of false positives on this unknown and reported higher rates of multiple vial Rh Ig administration when compared to institutions using other acid elution procedures. The 2nd unknown in this survey contained .apprx. 0.4% fetal cells. About 1/3 of laboratories, using each of 4 acid elution techniques, reported values less than half to more than twice this amount. The number of false positive and false negative results and the wide scatter of quantitation amounts reported for these 2 unknowns suggest that better methods are needed for screening and quantitating fetomaternal hemorrhage.

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