RhDpositiivisuutta

RhD positiivisuutta refers to the presence of the RhD antigen on the surface of red blood cells. The RhD antigen is a protein that is part of the Rh blood group system, which is one of the most important blood group systems after the ABO system. Individuals who have the RhD antigen are classified as RhD positive, while those who lack it are RhD negative. This characteristic is inherited and determined by genes. A significant majority of the world's population is RhD positive.

The RhD status is crucial in medical contexts, particularly during pregnancy and blood transfusions. For a pregnant person who is RhD negative, their body may develop antibodies against the RhD antigen if their fetus is RhD positive. This can lead to hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN), a condition where the fetus's red blood cells are destroyed by maternal antibodies, potentially causing severe anemia, jaundice, and other complications. RhD immunoglobulin (RhoGAM) is administered to RhD negative pregnant individuals to prevent the development of these antibodies.

In blood transfusions, transfusing RhD positive blood to an RhD negative recipient can trigger an immune response and the production of anti-D antibodies. Subsequent transfusions of RhD positive blood could then lead to a serious and potentially fatal transfusion reaction. Therefore, careful matching of RhD status is a standard procedure in blood banking to ensure patient safety. The determination of RhD status is typically done through blood typing tests.