The Direct Coombs (direct antiglobulin) test is used to diagnose which of the following?

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Multiple Choice

The Direct Coombs (direct antiglobulin) test is used to diagnose which of the following?

The test looks for antibodies or complement attached to a patient’s red blood cells. When red cells are coated with autoantibodies (or complement) during autoimmune hemolytic processes, adding anti-human globulin in the lab causes those coated cells to agglutinate. A positive direct Coombs test thus supports autoimmune-mediated destruction of red cells, as seen in autoimmune hemolytic anemia and related conditions. This test isn’t about measuring hematocrit, counting platelets, or detecting HbS. Hematocrit is just the fraction of blood volume made up by red cells, platelet count is a measure of platelets, and HbS refers to the sickle cell hemoglobin diagnosed by other methods like electrophoresis or molecular testing.

The test looks for antibodies or complement attached to a patient’s red blood cells. When red cells are coated with autoantibodies (or complement) during autoimmune hemolytic processes, adding anti-human globulin in the lab causes those coated cells to agglutinate. A positive direct Coombs test thus supports autoimmune-mediated destruction of red cells, as seen in autoimmune hemolytic anemia and related conditions. This test isn’t about measuring hematocrit, counting platelets, or detecting HbS. Hematocrit is just the fraction of blood volume made up by red cells, platelet count is a measure of platelets, and HbS refers to the sickle cell hemoglobin diagnosed by other methods like electrophoresis or molecular testing.

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