[Simplified preparation of test-red blood cells for ABO blood grouping in a laboratory in Madagascar].

Introduction: To ensure self-sufficiency and lower costs associated with reagent red blood cells, some medical laboratories produce their own test-red blood cells for plasma ABO blood grouping. However, given the vital importance of blood goup testing, it is essential to verify the reliability of these cells. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of laboratory-made ABO test-red blood cells.

Material and methods: This study comparing house made and commercially available test-red blood cells was carried out at the Medical Biology Training and Research Laboratory in Madagascar. This laboratory is attended by people wishing to obtain their blood group card.

Results: In this population, no discrepancy was found between the red cell and plasma tests. Comparison of test-red blood cells with commercially available reagent red blood cells showed no difference in reactivity in the first four days of conservation. However a decrease in the reactivity of house made cells appeared on the 5th day.

Conclusion: House made red blood cells are costless than commercially available reagent red blood cells mainly due to the simplified method of preparation. However, since laboratory-made cells progressivley lose antigenic reactivity quicly, production must be repeated regularly and good internal quality control is necessary to ensure reliability.