Glossary
Universal Recipient
Like universal donor, this term is not completely accurate. It refers to someone of the AB-positive blood type, who can generally receive red blood cells from any ABO type (A, B, AB, or O) and any Rh type (Rh-positive or -negative). These people comprise less than 4% of the population. However, the same caveat applies to this designation as to O negative “universal donors”: They are only universal recipients if they have no additional blood group antibodies.
NOTE: AB blood donors are very important, too, as their plasma can be given to essentially any recipient (since it lacks ABO blood group antibodies). So, AB-positive people could be considered both “universal recipients” and “universal plasma donors.”
Back to Glossary List
Transfusion News is sponsored by
- RHD Genotyping May Enable D-positive RBC Units to be Transfused to Patients with Anti-D
- Intravenous vs Oral Iron for Pregnant Women in Africa
- Cold Stored Platelets for Severe Trauma Patients
- Impact of Implementation of Individual Donor Assessment
- Liberal Transfusion Thresholds for Patients with Acute Brain Injury