it is also best known as compazine

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BLOOD TYPE 101
The basics on blood

Despite all the good it does, blood has earned a somewhat notorious reputation. The very sight of it makes some people faint, and rumors persist that it's the sustenance of vampires. But how much do you really know about this dark-red substance coursing through your body? Do you know what your blood type is? (You're not the only one thinking, "Sure, it's A…um…positive…or is it negative?")

Blood type plays a critical role in many medical situations, including any accident, surgery, or disease that requires a blood transfusion. It also affects the risk of complications during pregnancy for some women. Vel-come to 'Blood Type 101.'

Rh factor - The hard-to-remember part

Next to the ABO blood group, the most important group is called the Rhesus (Rh) factor. This group is defined by the presence of Rh antigens on the surface of red blood cells. Among the many antigens in the Rh group, the presence or absence of the D antigen determines whether you are considered "Rh positive" or "Rh negative."

The combination of the ABO and Rh blood groups creates the most commonly known set of blood types, which includes A positive, A negative, B positive, B negative, AB positive, AB negative, O positive and O negative. These types critically impact the safety of blood transfusions, and increase the risk of pregnancy complications in certain women.

Transfusions - All about antibodies and antigens

Shortly after birth, humans begin to develop antibodies - molecules that protect the body from foreign invaders. This includes formation of antibodies to the A or B blood antigens that are not present on their own red cells.

This process can be very serious. A person who receives an incompatible blood transfusion may experience fever, shaking, chills, shortness of breath, hives, and nausea. Shock, kidney failure, or intravascular coagulation can ensue and, rarely, even death may occur.

Strict regulations require that if you need a transfusion, you will only be given compatible blood. The ABO blood group determines that if you are:
Type A - You have antibodies against type B. You can receive blood from types A and O.
Type B - You carry antibodies against type A. You can receive blood from types B and O.
Type AB - Because both A and B antigens are present in your red blood cells, you don't carry antibodies for either. You can receive blood from types A, B, AB, and O.
Type O - You have antibodies against types A, B and AB. You can only receive type O blood, but you can donate to all types.

The Rh factor also affects the safety of blood transfusions. People with Rh-positive blood can safely receive Rh-negative blood, but the reverse is not always true.

Don't know your blood type?

Knowing how dangerous an incompatible transfusion can be, it's logical to wonder whether you should carry a blood type card in your wallet or purse. Even if you do, medical personnel will always draw a blood sample and check your type before giving you a blood transfusion. It's too easy to make mistakes, explains Dr. Moore - to believe the panicked father who insists he knows his child's type, or trust the blood type card in what proves to be a stolen wallet.

Rh incompatibility

In addition to transfusions, blood type incompatibility can pose medical problems during pregnancy.

During childbirth, some of a baby's blood can escape into the mother's bloodstream. That's not a problem if the mother's blood and that of the child are compatible. However, if they're not, a woman can develop antibodies that could be a threat to subsequent pregnancies.

Incompatibility between a mother and her child's ABO blood type is not cause for serious concern. However, if you are one of roughly 15 percent of U.S. women who have Rh-negative blood, pregnancy can potentially create complications. A problem arises only if the father is Rh-positive. If a baby inherits the father's positive blood type, the mother and her baby have incompatible blood.

Firstborn children usually aren't at risk, because their Rh-negative mother hasn't yet been exposed to Rh-positive blood and she hasn't developed antibodies against it. However, if a second child is Rh-positive, the mother's new antibodies can pass through the placenta and harm the developing baby. This risk increases with each Rh-incompatible pregnancy.

Rh disease is not the problem it once was because of more thorough screening techniques, use of a serum that prevents an Rh-negative woman from developing antibodies, and more effective therapies for affected infants. If a woman is pregnant, her physician will order blood tests to determine whether she is Rh-negative. If she is, her doctor will determine the risk of Rh incompatibility, and will closely monitor her health and that of the developing fetus.

Donating blood

Every year, as many as 4 million people in the United States require blood transfusions. Almost all the blood used in these transfusions comes from volunteers, yet less than 5 percent of healthy Americans eligible to donate blood actually do so each year.

Giving blood is quick and relatively painless. It is also safe, because new, sterile, disposable equipment is used for each donor. There's no risk to the donor of acquiring any disease by donating blood.

If you are older than 17 and weigh at least 110 pounds, you may be a suitable blood donor. Contact your local blood donation center or hospital to find out where you can donate blood.