How does my O-negative blood group help in emergency situations?

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Blood types are usually classified into A, B, AB, and O for simplicity, although there are other rarer types. The 'negative' part refers to the absence of the rhesus D antigen, which is found in the blood of most individuals but not in a significant number of people. If you have the rhesus D antigen, you are considered 'positive,' and if you don't have it, you are 'negative.' These classifications are important to prevent severe blood transfusion reactions, including acute febrile hemolytic transfusion reactions. To understand blood transfusion reactions, it is necessary to know the concepts of antigens and antibodies. In the ABO blood group classification, the involved antigens are antigen A and antigen B, while the involved antibodies are antibody A and antibody B. It is important to note that antigen A reacts with antibody A and antigen B reacts with antibody B. Blood group O does not contain any antigens, so there would be no antigen-antibody reaction if it is transfused, making it compatible with any blood type. Blood group AB contains both antigen A and antigen B but does not have antibodies, allowing it to receive blood from any blood type. Blood group A contains antigen A and antibody B, while blood group B contains antigen B and antibody A. The same principle applies to rhesus antigens, where rhesus-positive blood can trigger an antigen-antibody response in rhesus-negative individuals. Therefore, rhesus-negative blood is preferred. To summarize, blood group O negative reduces the risk of severe blood transfusion reactions, making it the preferred choice in emergency situations where there is not enough time for proper crossmatching of blood.

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