# What happens when you get the wrong blood? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 10, 2000, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678 "2000-09-10T14:03:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/1 "2000-09-10T14:03:47Z")
I watched an episode of MASH yesterday and a guy got the wrong blood. It seem the most that happened to him was a case of the chills. Are there more serious side effects from getting the wrong type blood in a transfusion? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/2 "2000-09-10T14:11:14Z")
I always understood that the victim would die horribly over the course of several hours. Of course, my medical training amounts to an EMT course I took in college just for the Health & Humanities credits. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/3 "2000-09-10T14:47:55Z")
In my dubious recollection, when someone gets the wrong blood, their circulatory system goes into some kind of apeshit overdrive and develops weird antibodies and stuff. Thereafter, they can only get blood transfusions (or donate blood) to other people that have undergone the same screw up. I think I recall that there’s some sort of national register so that people with “mismatched” blood can be contacted in order to donate for one of their brethren that needs a transfusion. Or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/4 "2000-09-10T14:54:18Z")
“wrong type blood” What kind is that? If i give you some of my juicy deaf blood aha, you won’t become deaf. If you got some blood from a black person I don’t think you’d turn black if that was your concern? ---
**Author:** ![fredicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/779978/32.png) [@fredicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fredicus)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/5 "2000-09-10T14:57:51Z")
I believe it’s akin to blood poisoning, quantity counts big (sic). ---
**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/6 "2000-09-10T14:58:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*“wrong type blood” > > What kind is that? If i give you some of my juicy deaf blood aha, you won’t become deaf. If you got some blood from a black person I don’t think you’d turn black if that was your concern? \*\* I hope you were joking. I believe the OP is concerned with blood types: A, B, AB, and O, each with a positive/negative version. Tinker ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/7 "2000-09-10T15:08:20Z")
Transfusion with the wrong blood typ can potentially be fatal. > [@](#): > > The four common groups have been numbered variously. The Moss classification I, II, III, and IV was used extensively until the adoption of the International A, B, O classification, which describes the groups according to the presence or absence of the specific cell factors, which are of two types, A and B. Thus we have four blood groups in the international system. In the first of these, both cell factors are present but no serum factors. > The serum factors are called anti-A and anti-B, and obviously the cell factor A and the serum factor anti-A could not exist in the same person. The second group contains cell factor A and serum factor anti-B. The third group contains cell factor B with serum factor anti-A, and the fourth group contains neither cell factor but both serum factors. The fourth group could therefore be given to any of the other groups and the cells, having no clumping factors, would be tolerated in any recipient. > On the other hand, the first group with both cell factors could not be given to any other group. The terms universal donor, Group O (Moss IV), and universal recipient, Group AB (Moss I), were used to amplify the earlier grouping system. Transfusion with the wrong group of blood is usually fatal so that very great care has to be taken in the determination of the blood group, both of donor and recipient. from [this](http://www.spaceports.com/~mprobert/E2.HTM)site ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/8 "2000-09-10T15:44:17Z")
ABO incompatibility causes what is called an acute hemolytic transfusion reaction. It is usually due to an O patient getting non-O blood, and is most commonly the result of clerical error. It manifests itself in three ways: –shock. –Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). This is when the blood in your vessels starts clotting randomly, eventually using up all your clotting factors so you can’t clot any more. First you clot, then you bleed. –Acute kidney failure. You might not get any of these things; you might get all of them. Signs you might see include fever, chills, hypotension, red or brown urine, or bleeding from wound sites. I’m not sure how often it is fatal; I would imagine that it has to do with the extent of the transfusion and how fast it is caught and treated. If you can catch it before the DIC starts, you can give heparin to help regulate the clotting. All those red cells popping can lead to hyperkalemia (too much potassium in the blood), which can disrupt the heart rhythm; if that happens, you would dialyze. (Thanks for making me look this up, BTW.) Dr. J ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/9 "2000-09-10T15:47:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tinker Grey \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > > \*\*“wrong type blood” > > > > What kind is that? If i give you some of my juicy deaf blood aha, you won’t become deaf. If you got some blood from a black person I don’t think you’d turn black if that was your concern? \*\* > > I hope you were joking. I believe the OP is concerned with blood types: A, B, AB, and O, each with a positive/negative version. > > Tinker \*\* Thanks Tinker, Geezz Handy that had to be a stretch to come up with a response like the one you just came up with. I certainly didn’t have whatever you are trying to suggest in mind. Did you? If so how come? Obviously I was speaking of **blood type**. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/10 "2000-09-10T19:53:22Z")
I saw quite a few years ago a story in one of our ‘respectables’ about a Scottish chap who had been unlucky enough to recieve the wrong blood type when he was very young. He survived and of course was examined closely by specialists. It turn out that he had an almost unique ability to produce something that stopped his immune system from tearing into the transplanted blood. He became a blood donor but gives blood far more often than regular donors do.Whatever it is in his blood can be extracted and is used on children all over the place to assist in operations where rejection is an issue. He was awarded the OBE which is why the article was written about him. If there are any heamatologists out there they will be able to tell you more about this as it is a very rare but not unique case. I wish I could be more specific but this was at least 10 years when I read the article. ---
**Author:** ![mipsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mipsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipsman)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/11 "2000-09-10T20:20:19Z")
Handy, I am curious about your post also. Was it “humor”, ignorance, or are you trying for some politically correctness merit badge? ---
**Author:** ![Road\_Rash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Road\_Rash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Road_Rash)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/12 "2000-09-10T21:05:31Z")
What about positive and negative blood types. Of course transfusions are best when the types are perfectly matched, but I always hear of blood shortaqes, especially for type 0-negative, which apparantly has to have 0-negative tranfusions. ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/13 "2000-09-10T21:20:20Z")
Okay, let me see if I can get this right from memory anyone can recieve O neg. blood because 1. Type A or B blood reacts to the opposite – Type O does not have any of the proteins A or B does, so nothing to react to. AB blood types have both proteins, so they can recieve any blood type. Type O persons must recieve type O blood. 2. Rh factor ( the + or -) is another antibody. A Rh + person could recieve Rh + or - blood, but a Rh - person, if receving Rh + blood, devlopes antibodies to the Rh factor. Upon a second exposure to Rh the mother’s antibodies provide a reaction to destroy the blood cells there, I think I got that out of my head straight ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/14 "2000-09-10T23:07:05Z")
Gee, you know aha, throughout history you’ll find people who have concerns about getting blood transfusions, e.g Websters dictionary gives as one defintion of ‘type’: " a member of an indicated class or variety of people" Thus, your ‘blood type’ becomes: “blood of ‘a member of an indicated class or variety of people’” How can that possible by offensive to ya? ah, knew you’d understand. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/15 "2000-09-10T23:17:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by aha \* > \*\*…It seem the most that happened to him was a case of the chills… \*\* I remember this episode. I think the guy was going into shock, so he was shaking, not having chills. It is quite serious to get the “wrong” type blood. Isn’t O-negative like an all-purpose type they can use in an emergency when they haven’t had time to type someone’s blood? Wasn’t there an episode of “All In The Family” where Archie got a transfusion and it turned out to be from a black person? Or maybe he was worried it might be from a black person? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2000, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/16 "2000-09-11T00:40:32Z")
Handy, man, in every thread you come up with the weirdest posts. You are _weird_ man! Anyway, re the OP, I understand getting a factor you do not have just triggers a massive allergic reaction. Anyone can receive 0- blood but you can only receive the A or B or Rh factors if you already have them. I am A Rh+ BTW. If a woman is Rh- and is pregnant with an Rh+ baby or viceversa, you have some serious problem. Aha, did you search the net? I did a search about this a few months ago and found _plenty_ of stuff, way more than I needed and way more reliable than anything you will read here. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2000, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/17 "2000-09-11T01:50:50Z")
> [@](#): > > How can that possible by offensive to ya? ah, knew you’d understand. Handy it seems to me that if I was worried about getting the “wrong blood” that would make me seem somewhat of a bigot don’t you think? Just for the record I’m not( a bigot that is.) Anyway I am going to quote right from my OP. The last line reads: > [@](#): > > Are there more serious side effects from getting the wrong **type** blood in a transfusion? See what I mean? Do we have to have airtight syntax on this board to keep the nit picks happy? Ah there I knew you would understand. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2000, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/18 "2000-09-11T02:15:43Z")
Y’know, handy…with your first post, I had assumed you were making a stab at humour, and incidentally referencing another episode of MASH - a racist soldier is worried that the docs gave him ‘the wrong blood’ - IE, from a black person. Not really funny, but, not offensive. I want you to know I wasn’t happy to be proved wrong. ---
**Author:** ![labdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5fc32e/32.png) [@labdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labdude)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2000, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-you-get-the-wrong-blood/32678/19 "2000-09-11T04:26:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\* > If a woman is Rh- and is pregnant with an Rh+ baby or viceversa, you have some serious problem. > > \*\* Yes, an Rh negative woman pregnant with an Rh positive baby will recieve a special shot of a substance called Rhogam. This will prevent the mother from developing Rh antibodies. The Rh antibodies would attack the blood of any futher Rh positive babies that she would become pregnant with. I think bio-brat answered your question, but feel free to ask for more information. I crossmatch blood for a living, and it’s very complicated. There are 50 common blood group antigens, and about 100 more uncommon antigens. Crossmatching blood is very time consuming and expensive. Most people focus on A,B, O, and Rh positive, or Rh negative. These are the most serious ones to consider. (ie they can kill you, instead of just making you sick)