Which steps help prevent ABO-incompatible transfusion?

• A. Checking patient name once
• B. Strict pretransfusion testing, crossmatching, clerical checks, and reliable barcoding
• C. Relying on physician memory
• D. Only crossmatching

Answer: (B)

Preventing ABO-incompatible transfusion relies on layered safety: accurate patient identification, thorough testing, and reliable system safeguards. Before transfusion, the blood needs ABO and Rh typing and an antibody screen to identify potential incompatibilities. Crossmatching then directly tests the recipient’s serum against donor red cells to confirm compatibility and catch any antibodies that typing alone might miss. But testing isn’t enough by itself; clerical checks verify that the patient’s identity, unit, and tube labels all match, reducing the chance of mislabeled or swapped samples. Reliable barcoding ties the patient to the correct specimen and the correct donor unit at every step, including bedside, so incorrect product administration is less likely. When these elements work together, the risk of ABO incompatibility is minimized because multiple independent safeguards catch different kinds of errors, from misidentification to mislabeled units. Relying on memory or performing only one aspect of verification leaves gaps—memory isn’t reliable and a single check cannot protect against labeling or matching errors.