All human beings have blood flowing through their veins. Although everyone’s blood has the same colour – red, there are four different blood groups and eight blood types. Everyone belongs to one of the blood groups.
There are two blood group systems;
It is very important to know your blood group and type as this knowledge guides you in several life decisions. With Blood London Clinic, you need not worry yourself as we will make your test seamless providing quality services.
Do reach out to us today or book an appointment to know your blood group!
Everyone belongs to one of these four blood groups – Blood groups A, B, AB and O.
Blood typing is a system used to determine the blood group of an individual. It is also used to determine which of the other blood groups is compatible with the individual’s blood group in case of emergencies requiring a blood transfusion.
Determining an individual’s blood group requires taking the individual’s blood sample is taken. At Blood London, we take utmost care in attending to our clients. We carry out all types of blood tests at our clinic. Your results will also be available in no time at all.
Testing for blood group requires taking a blood sample from a vein in the arm or from the tip of the finger. However, in cases of newborn babies, blood is taken from the umbilical cord or the heel stick for testing.
As we pointed out earlier, there are four blood groups and eight blood types. These blood groups depend on the presence or absence of antigen and antibodies A and B. The antigen or antibody you have, places you in a specific blood group. For instance;
Antigens are found on the surface of the red blood cells while the antibodies are produced against the present antigens.
Get tested today by sending us a mail in order to know your blood group and the group you are compatible with!
This is another blood system that determines the blood group of an individual. It is called the Rhesus factor, and you can either be positive or negative. If the D-antigen is present on the red blood cell of an individual, it means he or she is Rhesus positive if the antigen is not present, it means the individual is Rhesus negative. Because of the ABO blood group system and the RhD blood system, we can safely say that there are four major blood groups and eight blood types which include;
In 1901, an Austrian scientist named Karl Landsteiner discovered the different blood groups. Before then, people died from a blood transfusion because doctors thought everyone’s blood was the same. Thanks to Karl Landsteiner, we now know better. We know that mixing blood from different groups, which are not compatible can be fatal, because of the antibodies mentioned earlier. When two blood groups that are not compatible mix, the receiver’s antibodies fight and destroy the cells in the donor blood, and this causes a fatal reaction.
For a safe and effective blood transfusion, there has to be compatibility between the donor’s blood and the recipient’s blood. At Blood London, we ensure that our clients are well aware of their blood groups and compatibility status to prevent fatal incidents known as “clumping or agglutination of blood”, that happens when incompatible blood groups mix. This brings us to the question.
Whether or not agglutination or clumping occurs when different blood groups mix depends on the presence or absence of antigens and antibodies determine. Below are the blood types and their compatibility with other blood groups.
| Blood type | A + | A – | B + | B – | AB + | AB – | O + | O – |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A + | √ | √ | – | – | – | – | √ | √ |
| A – | – | √ | – | – | – | – | – | √ |
| B + | – | – | √ | √ | – | – | √ | √ |
| B – | – | – | – | √ | – | – | – | √ |
| AB + | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| AB – | – | √ | – | √ | – | √ | – | √ |
| O + | – | – | – | – | – | – | √ | √ |
| O – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | √ |
The above table shows the compatibility between the different blood groups, with the blood groups on the vertical column signifying the recipient, and the horizontal top row showing donor. It’s easy to see that some blood groups are indeed compatible. The boxes with the √ sign indicate that the blood group it connects, are compatible. Meanwhile, the – symbol indicates that the blood group linked by the symbol on the row and column are not compatible.
This also helps in pregnancy. If a pregnant woman is Rhesus negative, and she carries a Rhesus positive baby, she should be treated with RhD immune globulin during that pregnancy and after delivery. Otherwise, the mother’s immune system would develop antibodies against the baby’s antigen, and this can attack the baby’s red blood cells, causing hemolytic disease of foetus, or cause the mother to have a miscarriage. It will also affect later pregnancies if not handled.
Knowing your blood group is vital in the event of a blood transfusionarising from any of the following situations:
Knowing your blood group is very important because it can save you from life-threatening situations. Contact us today on 02071830244 or send us an email on [email protected] to get started on your blood type verification.
Blood London have been providing Blood Group Tests For Blood Type on a self-referral basis to patients in Central and Greater London for over 20 years. Simply walk-in weekdays between 9am and 6pm or on weekends between 10am and 2pm, to have your blood taken by a highly experienced professional in our private, Harley Street clinic using some of the best labs in europe.
Please note that when ordering blood tests on a self-request basis, we will forward you the laboratory report without note or comment from our doctors unless you are under their care.
Following the results of your test, if you would like to undergo a consultation, further testing or treatment please feel free to reach out to the clinic and we'll be happy to help.
Select the test that you would like to undergo
Go to the Harley Street clinic for your blood draw and pay for your test in person
As soon as the results are ready, the will be sent to you by your chosen method
