Out of 100 donors:

• 46 have Type O blood.
• 40 have Type A Positive blood.
• 10 have Type B blood.
• 4 have Type AB blood.

Out of these:

• 7 have Type O Negative blood.
• 6 have Type A Negative blood.
• 1.5 have Type B Negative blood.
• Less than 1 is Type AB Negative.

Rh Negative
Another name for the Rh antigen is D. Rh + people are D+, and can receive either Rh+ (D+) or Rh- (D-) blood. Rh neg people are lacking the D antigen. They should receive Rh neg blood under most circumstances.

However, if an Rh neg person does not have an anti-D antibody (has not been transfused with RH pos blood before, has not been pregnant with an Rh pos baby), you can safely give them Rh pos blood. However, once an Rh neg person receives Rh pos blood, they may develop an anti-D antibody.

If this happens, they cannot receive Rh pos blood again, as they will have a transfusion reaction.

This situation might occur if you have a massive bleeder that's an O neg, but the hospital might not have the O neg inventory to support the patient. An antibody screen will be performed on the patient; if it's negative, you could give them O pos blood. Every attempt is made to avoid giving an Rh neg woman of child bearing age Rh pos blood, as this could adversely affect future pregnancies.

What is the Blood Type most needed? The type that is not there when a patient must have a transfusion.

What's the best way to find out your blood type?

Make an appointment to donate blood. In a few weeks, you'll receive a card with your blood type on it. And you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your blood may now be helping someone else!

To find out more about how blood types are inherited, click here!

Medical Update