The purpose of this guideline is to provide healthcare professionals with clear practical and technical guidance for estimating the volume of target red blood cells (RBCs) in an individual's circulation when using acid elution (AE) and flow cytometry (FC) methods. It is laboratory focused and recognises the difficulties involved in interpreting AE slides and the limitations of both the AE and FC techniques.
The emphasis is on accurate Feto-Maternal Haemorrhage (FMH) estimation in D negative females to ensure that a sufficient dose of anti-D immunoglobulin (Ig), in addition to any routine antenatal anti-D Ig prophylaxis (RAADP), is administered and maternal alloimmunisation prevented. There is continued emphasis on the confirmation of FMH greater than 2 mL, the follow-up of FMH greater than or equal to 4 mL.
Declaration of Interests
The BSH paid the expenses incurred during the writing of this guidance. No additional funding was required for the update of these guidelines. All authors have made a declaration of interests to the B.S.H. which may be viewed on request. The following members of the writing group: L.P., M.H., J.E., K.V., D.H., L.J., S.A.F., C.G. and S.R. have no conflicts of interest to declare.