Coombs’ test - indirect

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Overview

Risks

Results

Coombs’ test - indirect

Alternative Names:

Indirect antiglobulin test

Normal Values:

No agglutination (absence of clumping of red blood cells) is normal.

What abnormal results mean:

An abnormal indirect Coombs' test may indicate the presence of an antibody against an antigen that the body views as foreign:

Antibodies to antigens not present on the individual's red cells, usually caused by prior transfusions
Erythroblastosis fetalis hemolytic disease of the newborn
Incompatible cross-matched blood (when the test is used in the blood bank)

If you have antibodies against your own RBCs, the indirect Coombs' test results may be abnormal, if there are excess antibodies beyond what your red blood cells can absorb. This may indicate autoimmune hemolytic anemia or drug-induced hemolytic anemia.

Review Date: 8/16/2004
Reviewed By: Stephen Grund, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of Hematology & Oncology and Director of the George Bray Cancer Center at New Britain General Hospital, New Britain, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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