Find a Blood Drive
Find a Blood Drive
With decades of experience in transfusion medicine and serology, the Red Cross offers the expertise and technology to help you achieve the best possible outcomes for your patients. The NRLBGS assists with the identification of red blood cell (RBC) antibodies, RBC phenotyping and crossmatching, and provides matched RBC units for patients requiring phenotype-selected RBC products in the management of sickle cell disease, as well as antigen-negative and IgA-deficient blood products.
Learn more about our services below, or to order call the National Reference Laboratory for Blood Group Serology at 215-451-4901.
At the discretion of the hospital blood bank, pathologist or patient's physician.
For patients undergoing RBC transfusion therapy for management of sickle cell disease.
Due to chronic transfusions, alloimmunization to RBC antigens is a significant risk for many patients with sickle cell disease. Studies have shown that the transfusion of RBCs matched for specific, immunogenic RBC antigens reduces alloimmunization rates and may facilitate long-term management of sickle cell disease patients. IRLs provide units that are phenotypically matched for selected RBC antigens of the patient.
For patients with special blood requirements for units with phenotypically selected RBC antigens, or IgA-deficient plasma products.
American Red Cross IRLs maintain an inventory of known antigen types to assist hospitals with antigen-negative blood needs. IRLs work through the American Rare Donor Program to locate and obtain rare units not available in inventory.
The American Red Cross supports the American Rare Donor Program by submitting donor candidates for the program.