DIY Blood group test with household chemicals?

They did this on an episode of Royal Pains. I don't remember exactly what they used, but you could look up or download the episode (No Man is an Island).

This should help.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/8f3d/

AFAIK, you can check compatibility by mixing the two blood-types together, then examining them on a slide under a microscope. I'm not sure if there's any way to determine blood type at home without a microscope or specialized equipment.

I believe if the blood types are compatible, all the cells in the mixed blood will look normal, but if the blood is incompatible, some of the cells will be visibly destroyed, or exploded.

I found this. Might be worth contacting them to see if they can help?

http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/blood-typing/tab/ask

If he's got the equipment to do a blood transfusion then he has the equipment to do a saline infusion, which is safer and has the same effect in the short term. If the artery is simply cut, suturing, compression or any number of options can seal it until medical help arrives. A tourniquet can be quite effective as well.

I guess the real question is what the objective or storyline is here.

Jeff

Hm, interesting question! The easiest way to do it would be to mix a little of the two kinds of blood together. If they're compatible they'll stay runny, if they're not then they'll clot or agglutinate. It's all to do with the proteins on the surface of the red blood cells. If blood is introduced that has proteins on the surface that the original blood doesn't have, then it's not recognised and deemed a threat so it's attacked by the white blood cells. It makes the cells clump together.

As one of the other posters said, saline would be a safer bet. The body is able to survive on less blood cells than normal for a while but it needs the blood volume, the liquid, to keep things normal.

Even before the saline you could do things like encourage the person to drink a lot.

I'd definitely say a torniquet is out. Just keeping pressure on it and turn him so the wound is higher than the heart so that gravity isn't aiding the blood flow.

Buffysquirrel said:

Thanks, people . He's really putting this together in a panic out of what he's got to hand. As the cut's in the neck I was thinking a tourniquet wouldn't work?

The objective is to have the husband doing everything he can to save the protag's life thereby saving their relationship as well.

ETA: I'm not absolutely wedded to doing it this way. All suggestions welcome!

Click to expand...

Don't put the tourniquet around the neck. LOL.
The major compatibility is determined by the reaction between recipient's serum and donor erythrocytes. Your MC will need a centrifuge to spin the blood samples and test the serum against erythrocytes. He won't need a microscope because the reaction is visible on a plate by a naked eye.
Alternatively, MC can know the donor is group O rhesus negative, which is a universal donor by the virtue of having no antigens on erythrocytes to react with any antibodies present in recipient's serum. ERs are stacked with this type of PRBC for emergency transfusions in hemodynamically unstable trauma victims.
As a biologist, your MC will know those things. In real life, the testing is more rigorous, minor compatibility being tested in all non-emergency blood transfusions.
Hope it helps.

The scenario won't quite work unless you rig it to work, and I think Movies and TV get away with too much crap, making you think this is realistic. I'm having painful flashbacks to Lost and the blood transfusion early on. Using random equipment. And a realllly long tube with no anticoagulants. Yeah, no.

First, the bleedig has to stop. You cant transfuse fast enough to make up for blood loss from a major wound. And since even compatible blood can cause a reaction, even a mild bleeding wound should be addressed before giving blood when there's only one person around to react to say, a reaction plus suddenly the wound is open again.

As pointed out, fluids are effective and often safer. We can lose blood cells better than blood volume, particularly if we arent flailing about.

If your guy isnt going to have the right equipment for a transfusion he absolutely can't do it. He'll be watching her die of clots right fast.

Read up on first human transfusion for medicine gone wrong.

Having sterile saline for other reasons, and perhaps a 1-3cc sterile syrine with needle could be interesting. He doesnt need special syringes, just sterile ones. Then it's a question of where does he stick her (arm or good jugular. There's a lot more issues with the second, but he might not be able to hit the arm even if she has big veins, because it takes skill). And then he has to leave the needle in, take the syringe off, re with another needle, reattach to the needle which is drilling blood a little... See, this won't work for a lay person. And I haven't even reached the part where he slips the needle out of the vein and doesnt know it, thus putting water under the skin til no more water fits in that area and he realizes and looks closer and sees the issue but now cant hit the vein again

Ps- you said his husband so I guess I shouldn't have assumed a she.

I also meant to talk about blood testing more, but you can google the stir both blood types together compatibility test, whatever its called exactly... The kit or blood group type of test is based on the fact that blood groups have different antigens, so the kits have receptors and magic color changing abilities or whatever built in. Thus no amount of household or basic bio equipment will work for blood typing.

Basic first aid and trauma treatments are your friends.

A little insight here, from someone who transfuses others with great regularity.

There's three kinds of transfusions, basically:
1) Typed and matched. This carries the smallest amount of risk of a transfusion reaction. Blood from the donor unit and the recipient are matched for major antigens (A, B, O). [The Rhesus (+ or -) is only a concern if you're transfusing a woman who can bear children. If she's Rh - and receives Rh +, she'll develop antibodies against it. Not a problem for her, but if she gets pregnant with a Rh+ child, her antibodies could cross the placenta and attack the child's blood.] There are other antigens that you don't hear about that also can cause problems and have more interesting names (Kell, Kidd, Duff, and a myriad of others).

2) Type specific: This carries a tenfold greater risk of reaction. In this case, the patient is administered blood that's only been A,B,O and Rh matched. The minor antigens aren't matched. This is given when the initial blood type is determined and before the type and match is ready (which takes 45 minutes). Type specific can be ready in 10ish minutes.

3) Unmatched blood: This is when a patient needs blood NOW and gets type O blood (Rh + if child-bearing isn't a possibility; Rh - if it is.) This is given when the patient hits the doors and can't wait even 5-10 minutes. Trauma, emergent c-section, etc.

My suggestion for your scene, without knowing the particulars, would be the following:
1) Don't have the carotid be severed. There are other arteries that can be cut instead that would achieve the desired blood letting. The carotid carries the additional issues of being untourniquetable, as well as allowing air to enter the vessels of the brain, causing a massive stroke.
2) Make it so one of the people involved knows their blood type. It could be the victim, who knows she's AB+. That'd mean she could receive ANY major blood type without a problem, known as a universal recipient. Or someone else could be O-, making them a universal donor and able to transfuse her. By doing this, you'll be able to avoid trying to MacGuivre a blood testing kit.

Hope that helps.

I believe if the blood types are compatible, all the cells in the mixed blood will look normal, but if the blood is incompatible, some of the cells will be visibly destroyed, or exploded.

Click to expand...

I did this experiment on transfusion training. Basically, the test tube with the two incompatible blood types should coagulate pretty fast. That's more or less what happens in the veins, and it can happen horribly quickly.

Well the jugular is still good and a large tear(s) will bleed a lot. All that blood going to the head HAS to return, it just does it with less pressure. After that's dealt with, then worry about fluids or transfusing (with the right equipment).