Kit offers solution to the issue of quantification of bleeds in patients with FetoMaternal haemorrhage
The Kleihauer Betke test (KBT) is a well established test for the detection and quantitation of FetoMaternal haemorrhage.
However, this is a labour intensive and often subjective test.
The BCSH guidelines on 'The estimation of FetoMaternal haemorrhage' recommend that the KBT is only used in assessing bleeds up to 4ml.
Standard treatment for any RhD-negative mother giving birth to a RhD-positive infant, is to receive a dose of 500iu Anti-D within 72 hours of the delivery. Therefore, quantitation of bleeds over 4ml must be performed quickly and accurately so that further doses of Anti-D appropriate to the size of bleed can be administered.
The guidelines recommend the use of flow cytometry in these cases. The new Quant-Rho FITC anti-D kit from Alpha Laboratories offers a solution to this issue.
A CE marked product, this flow cytometry kit is ready to use with a simple test methodology that does not require permeabilisation.
The range of the assay is 1.4 to 48.0ml and calibration controls are available.
