{
  "abstract": "The administration of RhD-positive red blood cells (RBC) to females of childbearing potential (FCP) is a contentious issue in emergency and transfusion medicine. The concern stems from the risk of D-alloimmunisation, which can lead to haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN)1 in subsequent pregnancies. Overall, the calculated risk of experiencing severe HDFN in a future pregnancy complicated by D-alloimmunisation that occurred during resuscitation from haemorrhagic shock ranges from 0.04% to 0.24% in one model when the woman has access to modern healthcare.2 3 This very small risk of future severe HDFN must be seen in the context of treating life-threatening haemorrhage, when withholding an RhD-positive transfusion for fear of causing HDFN could be fatal. On military deployments, logistical constraints may necessitate deviation from guidelines that recommend administering RhD-negative blood to prevent D-alloimmunisation. Joint Service Publications and Clinical Guidelines for Operations support this deviation when unavoidable during the management of life-threatening haemorrhage.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Joint Hospital Group Southwest, Plymouth, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Nina Phillips"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Academic Department of Military Emergency Medicine, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "David McConnell"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Mark H Yazer"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Assessing the attitudes towards transfusing RhD-positive red blood cells to female service personnel of childbearing potential: a survey of deployed healthcare practitioners",
  "uid": "a8615a23-25cd-50c5-8d5e-1fd8861c2fb4"
}