ABO Blood Type Compatibility for Recipients

Steps:

• AB blood type contains A and B antigens but lacks anti-A and anti-B antibodies.
• Recipient antibodies must not react with donor red blood cell antigens to prevent agglutination.
• Donor AB provides matching antigens with no reaction due to absent antibodies in recipient.
• Donor O lacks A and B antigens, making it universally safe as no targets for reaction.

Why D is correct:

• ABO system rules state AB recipients accept AB (exact match, no clumping) and O (no antigens to trigger immune response).

Why the others are wrong:

• A. O only: Excludes AB, the fully matched type essential for optimal transfusion.
• B. A and B only: Excludes AB and O; A/B donor plasma antibodies can react with recipient antigens in whole blood.
• C. A, B and O: Excludes AB, ignoring the primary compatible donor for AB recipients.

Final answer: D