Introduction

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The page below is a sample from the LabCE course Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn (retired 4/6/2020). Access the complete course and earn ASCLS P.A.C.E.-approved continuing education credits by subscribing online.

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Introduction

Fetomaternal hemorrhage (FMH) greater than 30 mL of whole blood occurs in only about 0.3% of cases but must be detected to prevent the mother from producing anti-D. Once the mother has become immunized to D, RhIG is of no use.
A typical test protocol is to first screen for a large FMH and then quantitate the bleed if the screen is positive. Some laboratories proceed directly to a test that can quantitate the size of the FMH.
Once the size of the FMH is determined, a formula is used to determine how much RhIG is needed. Recall that
  • A standard vial of RhIG contains 1500 IU (300 µg) of IgG anti-D;
  • 300 µg of RhIG can suppress immunization to approximately 30 mL of D-positive whole blood.