Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUniversal TypesAbout Blood TypeTransfusionsReactionsAllergic ReactionsOrgan Donation
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Universal Types
About Blood Type
Transfusions
Reactions
Allergic Reactions
Organ Donation
The universal recipient blood type is AB positive (AB+), and the universal donor blood type is O negative (O-). People who are AB+ can safely receive a blood transfusion of any other blood type, while O- blood can be safely given to someone of any blood type.
Only about 7% of people are O-. O- blood bank donations are in high demand because this type is used most often for those in need of a transfusion.
Universal Recipient and Donor Blood Types
People who have type AB+ blood are called universal recipients. This is because they can receive any blood type during a transfusion.
People who have type O- blood are called universal donors. This means the blood they give can be used for anyone, regardless of blood type. Only around 7% of the population has 0- blood.
Verywell / Emily Roberts
How Blood Type Is Determined
To understand howblood typing, universal blood donors, and universal blood recipients work, you need to know the meaning of two key terms:antigensandRh factor.
Antigens
Antigensare a substance that the body’simmune systemcan respond to. Antigens are found on the surface of blood cells. When the immune system detects an antigen that it does not recognize, it will fight it.
The antigens on blood cells determine how a recipient reacts to ablood transfusion. The presence or absence of antigens helps categorize the differentblood types.
In addition to the universal recipient type AB positive, there are seven common blood types: O positive, O negative, A positive, A negative, B positive, B negative, and AB negative.
The four main blood types indicate whether you have (or don’t have) A or B antigens:
Why Do Blood Types Have to Match?Matching blood types is essential for safe blood transfusions or organ transplants. If a person gets the wrong blood type, their immune system attacks the donated blood cells rather than accepting them. This response can lead tokidney failureand shock. In rare cases, getting donated blood that’s the wrong match can be fatal.
Why Do Blood Types Have to Match?
Matching blood types is essential for safe blood transfusions or organ transplants. If a person gets the wrong blood type, their immune system attacks the donated blood cells rather than accepting them. This response can lead tokidney failureand shock. In rare cases, getting donated blood that’s the wrong match can be fatal.
Rhesus (Rh) Factor
Blood types are described as being positive or negative. This is based on the presence or absence of a protein called therhesus (Rh) factor, also called the Rh(D) antigen. It’s often written as “+” (positive or present) or “-” (negative or absent) when noting a person’s blood type.
Here’s how the Rh factor affects blood donation:
Since both A and B antigens are present in a person with AB+ blood and it has a positive Rh factor, the recipient does not have antibodies to these antigens and will not reject the blood. That means a person who is AB+ is the universal recipient, as they can get any type of blood.
Most people have other Rh proteins, even those who are Rh negative. These proteins help red blood cells maintain their structure. Rh(D) is the only one that is likely to cause an immune response during a transfusion.
What is the rarest blood type?Type Rh-null is therarest blood type. Rh-null blood lacks all Rh antigens. Only one in every 6 million people have this blood type.
What is the rarest blood type?
Type Rh-null is therarest blood type. Rh-null blood lacks all Rh antigens. Only one in every 6 million people have this blood type.
Blood Types and Transfusions
A person can always receive a blood transfusion from someone with their own blood type. Some blood types can also receive blood from people with certain other blood types. A person with AB+ blood, for example, can receive any blood type, while someone with O- blood can give blood to anyone regardless of type.
O+ blood is not a universal type, but it is in high demand since it is the most common blood type. Around 37% of the population has O+ blood.
Here’s a breakdown of recipient blood types and their matching donor blood types:
Blood Transfusion Reactions
A person can have a reaction to a transfusion if they receive the wrong type of blood. An allergic reaction to a blood transfusion is also possible, regardless of a person’s blood type.
Ahemolytic transfusionreaction occurs when there is a mismatch between the donor and recipients' A, B, and O blood types. Antibodies in the recipient’s blood attach to the donor’s red blood cells and destroy them in the recipient’s bloodstream, liver, andspleen.
The body’s response can cause a person to have a yellow tint to their eyes and skin (jaundice). It also can cause uncontrolledclottingin the bloodstream,shock, and rarely death.
Acute vs. Delayed Reactions
Blood transfusion reactions are divided into two categories: acute and delayed.
Hemolytic reactions are rare because hospital blood banks type and crossmatch each unit of blood to be given to a recipient.
Allergic Reactions to Blood
The symptoms include:
If a person has a severe reaction to a blood transfusion, they may need to have more careful screening for blood in the future to prevent a similar reaction during later transfusions.
Receiving a blood transfusion is not the only time being a universal blood recipient or universal blood donor matters. It also makes a difference when anorgan transplantis needed.
A patient who needs an organ and has AB+ blood can accept anorgan from donorsof all blood types, just as they can accept a blood donation of any type.However, the process of matchingan organdonor with a recipient is more complicated than only matching a blood type.
The organ allocation system is set up so that it’s fair to peoplewaiting for a donor organ. This way, people with AB blood don’t receive more organs than people with other blood types.
Summary
Universal blood donors and universal blood recipients are unique.
A person with a universal donor blood type can give blood that any person can receive. A person with a universal recipient blood type can get any blood donation, which can be life-saving in an emergency.
If you have the universal donor blood type, you know that giving blood can help a lot of people. That said, donating blood if you can is valuable no matter what your blood type is.
Usually, there is enough donated blood to help anyone who needs it; however, there can also beblood product shortages. Ongoing blood donations keep the supply stocked to help all patients in need.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute.ABO blood group system.American Red Cross.Facts about blood and blood types.American Red Cross.Why is type O blood so important.National Library of Medicine.Hemolytic transfusion reaction.NHS Blood Donation.The Rh system.Shahverdi E, Moghaddam M, Abolghasemi H.First report of known rare Rhnull phenotype individuals in Iran.Int J Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Res. 2018;12(3):181-184Nambiar RK, Narayanan G, Prakash NP, Vijayalakshmi K.Blood group change in acute myeloid leukemia.Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2017;30(1):74-75. doi:10.1080/08998280.2017.11929536Lam S, Hultin S, Preston J, Campbell S.Temporal change in blood group after bone marrow transplant: A case of successful ABO-incompatible deceased donor transplant.Case Rep Transplant. 2020;2020:7461052. doi:10.1155/2020/7461052Delaney M, Wendel S, Bercovitz RS, et al.Transfusion reactions: Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.Lancet. 2016;388(10061):2825-2836. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01313-6Omer SA, Alaesh JS, Algadeeb KB.Delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction in a patient with sickle cell disease: Case report.Int Med Case Rep J. 2020;13:307-311. doi:10.2147/IMCRJ.S257036Wang H, Ren D, Sun H, Liu J.Research progress on febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reaction: a narrative review.Ann Transl Med. 2022;10(24):1401. doi:10.21037/atm-22-4932Cedars-Sinai.ABO incompatibility in transplants.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute.ABO blood group system.American Red Cross.Facts about blood and blood types.American Red Cross.Why is type O blood so important.National Library of Medicine.Hemolytic transfusion reaction.NHS Blood Donation.The Rh system.Shahverdi E, Moghaddam M, Abolghasemi H.First report of known rare Rhnull phenotype individuals in Iran.Int J Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Res. 2018;12(3):181-184Nambiar RK, Narayanan G, Prakash NP, Vijayalakshmi K.Blood group change in acute myeloid leukemia.Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2017;30(1):74-75. doi:10.1080/08998280.2017.11929536Lam S, Hultin S, Preston J, Campbell S.Temporal change in blood group after bone marrow transplant: A case of successful ABO-incompatible deceased donor transplant.Case Rep Transplant. 2020;2020:7461052. doi:10.1155/2020/7461052Delaney M, Wendel S, Bercovitz RS, et al.Transfusion reactions: Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.Lancet. 2016;388(10061):2825-2836. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01313-6Omer SA, Alaesh JS, Algadeeb KB.Delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction in a patient with sickle cell disease: Case report.Int Med Case Rep J. 2020;13:307-311. doi:10.2147/IMCRJ.S257036Wang H, Ren D, Sun H, Liu J.Research progress on febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reaction: a narrative review.Ann Transl Med. 2022;10(24):1401. doi:10.21037/atm-22-4932Cedars-Sinai.ABO incompatibility in transplants.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Cancer Institute.ABO blood group system.American Red Cross.Facts about blood and blood types.American Red Cross.Why is type O blood so important.National Library of Medicine.Hemolytic transfusion reaction.NHS Blood Donation.The Rh system.Shahverdi E, Moghaddam M, Abolghasemi H.First report of known rare Rhnull phenotype individuals in Iran.Int J Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Res. 2018;12(3):181-184Nambiar RK, Narayanan G, Prakash NP, Vijayalakshmi K.Blood group change in acute myeloid leukemia.Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2017;30(1):74-75. doi:10.1080/08998280.2017.11929536Lam S, Hultin S, Preston J, Campbell S.Temporal change in blood group after bone marrow transplant: A case of successful ABO-incompatible deceased donor transplant.Case Rep Transplant. 2020;2020:7461052. doi:10.1155/2020/7461052Delaney M, Wendel S, Bercovitz RS, et al.Transfusion reactions: Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.Lancet. 2016;388(10061):2825-2836. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01313-6Omer SA, Alaesh JS, Algadeeb KB.Delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction in a patient with sickle cell disease: Case report.Int Med Case Rep J. 2020;13:307-311. doi:10.2147/IMCRJ.S257036Wang H, Ren D, Sun H, Liu J.Research progress on febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reaction: a narrative review.Ann Transl Med. 2022;10(24):1401. doi:10.21037/atm-22-4932Cedars-Sinai.ABO incompatibility in transplants.
National Cancer Institute.ABO blood group system.
American Red Cross.Facts about blood and blood types.
American Red Cross.Why is type O blood so important.
National Library of Medicine.Hemolytic transfusion reaction.
NHS Blood Donation.The Rh system.
Shahverdi E, Moghaddam M, Abolghasemi H.First report of known rare Rhnull phenotype individuals in Iran.Int J Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Res. 2018;12(3):181-184
Nambiar RK, Narayanan G, Prakash NP, Vijayalakshmi K.Blood group change in acute myeloid leukemia.Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2017;30(1):74-75. doi:10.1080/08998280.2017.11929536
Lam S, Hultin S, Preston J, Campbell S.Temporal change in blood group after bone marrow transplant: A case of successful ABO-incompatible deceased donor transplant.Case Rep Transplant. 2020;2020:7461052. doi:10.1155/2020/7461052
Delaney M, Wendel S, Bercovitz RS, et al.Transfusion reactions: Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.Lancet. 2016;388(10061):2825-2836. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01313-6
Omer SA, Alaesh JS, Algadeeb KB.Delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction in a patient with sickle cell disease: Case report.Int Med Case Rep J. 2020;13:307-311. doi:10.2147/IMCRJ.S257036
Wang H, Ren D, Sun H, Liu J.Research progress on febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reaction: a narrative review.Ann Transl Med. 2022;10(24):1401. doi:10.21037/atm-22-4932
Cedars-Sinai.ABO incompatibility in transplants.
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