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O positive (O+) or O negative (O-) blood group: what are the differences?

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O positive (O+) or O negative (O-) blood group: what are the differences?

Blood type O is well known to everyone. For good reason, O negative (O-) people are called "universal donors". What does that mean? What about O positive (O+) people? Answers from Dr. Pascale Richard, medical director of the French Blood Establishment (EFS).

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Reminder: what are the different types of blood groups?

Our blood is made up of 45% cells (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets) and 55% plasma (the liquid component of blood). The antigens found on our blood cells, however, vary from person to person, as do some proteins present - or not - in plasma.

According to the ABO system, discovered in 1900 by the American biologist and physician, Karl Landsteiner, there are four primary blood groups: blood group A, blood group B, blood group AB and blood group O. By combining this system and the Rhesus system, which determines the presence - or not - of an additional antigen in the blood, we obtain eight distinct blood groups:

·        Blood type A negative (A-),

·        Blood group A positive (A+),

·        B-negative blood group (B-),

·        B positive blood group (B+),

·        AB negative blood type (AB-),

·        AB positive blood group (AB+),

·        negative blood type (O-),

·        And O positive (O+) blood type.

O+ or O- blood group: what are the differences? Who to give blood to?

Peculiarities of the O positive blood group? Who can receive O+ blood?

The red blood cells of O+ people are not coated with any antigen on their surface. Therefore, the blood of O+ people can be transfused to all positive blood groups (A+, B+, AB+, O+).

O+ red blood cells can only be transfused to rhesus positive people (A+, B+, AB+, O+).

Type O blood contains anti-An antibodies and anti-B antibodies. Therefore, they can only receive blood from O+ or O- people. Otherwise, their antibodies attack the red blood cells of blood groups A, B and AB, we speak of hemolysis.

Peculiarities of the O negative blood group? Who can receive O- blood?

Like O+ people, O- people have no antigens on the surface of their red blood cells. Their red blood cells can therefore be transfused to any blood group regardless of rhesus (A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-, O+, O-).

In contrast, O- people can only receive rhesus negative (O-) O blood.

Which blood group is a universal donor?

Only people in the O negative (O-) group are considered "universal donors". In other words, they can donate their blood from any other person (A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-, O+, O-), because their red blood cells carry no antigen.

O+ or O-: which is the best blood group?

"There is no good or bad, no better or worse blood group, insists Dr. Richard. It is the chance of genetics that does its work and there is no bad lottery”. Blood group O does not have any particular advantages over blood groups A, B or AB. Embracecomfort.com!

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