blood type compatibility for transplant

[anonymous]

Did some on-line research and found the following info. Appears that negatives and positives don't matter. So, Amy, you are A- like me. We can take lungs from someone with either any type of A or O blood. Based on percentages of most common blood types (more research I did) I think we have about an 85% chance of finding a match...pretty good news.

BLOOD TYPES

A simple blood test is performed to determine the correct blood type of a donor and recipient. Here's how your blood type should be compatible with your potential donor's blood type:

. If you are blood type A, your donor should have blood type A or O.

. If you are blood type B, your donor should have blood type B or O.

. If you are blood type O, the donor must have blood type O (type O is called the universal donor).

. If you have blood type AB (the universal acceptor), your donor can have blood type AB, A, B or O.

 

[anonymous]

Oh, that was from Me...Vicki

 

[Allie]

Can I ask where you found that? I was told that unlike other organs, lungs have to be a total match. They are unique in that regard.

THis is according to the UNOS guidleines for lung allocation, found on thier site.

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>3.7.8.2 ABO Typing for Lung Allocation. Candidates who have the identical blood type as the donor and are awaiting an isolated lung transplant will be allocated thoracic organs before candidates who have a compatible (but not identical) blood type with that of the donor and are awaiting an isolated lung transplant</end quote></div>

 

[Joanne]

Lungs do need to be a match.

O is the most common blood, and normally O's can be used for blood donation and some organ donation. But lungs you must match, they don't give O's to other blood types, or the O's would never get tx'd, since there are so many of them and other blood types would be taking those.

Joanne

 

[anonymous]

Allie,

You are right. I just found the same info. Thank you.

But if I'm reading correctly it doesn't say that a recipient CAN'T use a compatible match, if needed, it just says that first choice/most compatible are those blood types that are identical and those will be considered first.

-Vicki

 

[Allie]

Yes, but I highly doubt they won't be able to find anyone on the list with the same blood type.....it would be odd, for certain, considering how many people are waiting.

 

[EnergyGal]

they also match donors and recipients to what viruses they have had. CMV, EBV and herpes and they look at PRA's. Blood type is just part of the picture. Size has a lot to do with it as well.

I say do not wait too long to get listed. Even though the allocation system is better now, people still wait a while especially if the person is of shorter stature. I say it is better to be transplanted six months too soon than later on when there is not much time left.