[Use of microtest in gel for compatibility in serological testing before transfusion]

A gel technique for the detection of red blood cell antigen--antibody reaction was evaluated in pretransfusion compatibility tests. The evaluation was undertaken on 917 blood samples of recipients and 2450 samples of donors. Parallel study of microtest in gel and classical techniques revealed that gel technique was more sensitive than the classical one, because some antibodies of Rh, Kell and Kidd systems were found by this method exclusively. It is also more specific because a lot of unspecific reactions could be eliminated. Therefore, it was decided to use the microtest in gel for crossmatching of recipient serum against red cells from each intended donor--particularly when the patient had irregular erythrocyte antibodies. The results presented in this paper revealed that in gel is one of the most potent tests and it is the safest for routine use before transfusion.