Automation in the blood transfusion laboratory. 3. Use of the autoanalyzer in a prenatal consultation program

A Technicon AutoAnalyzer hemagglutination system was used to test sera from 1388 prenatal patients. This automated approach to antibody screening was slightly more successful than careful hand tests. Estimates of anti-D concentration on the AutoAnalyzer correlated well with antiglobulin titres and compared favourably with hand titres in indicating those cases requiring examination of amniotic fluid. Once other large-scale studies establish what levels of anti-D are clinically significant, apparatus of the type described should be of considerable practical value in routine prenatal work.