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What blood types "match"? Blood typing is the first blood test that will determine if your blood is compatible with the potential donor's blood. If the donor's blood type works with your blood type, the donor will take the next blood test (tissue typing).
Kidney donors must have a compatible blood type with the recipient. The Rh factor (+ or -) of blood does not matter in a transplant.
The following blood types are compatible:
- Donors with blood type A… can donate to recipients with blood types A and AB
- Donors with blood type B… can donate to recipients with blood types B and AB
- Donors with blood type AB… can donate to recipients with blood type AB only
- Donors with blood type O… can donate to recipients with blood types A, B, AB and O (O is the universal donor: donors with O blood are compatible with any other blood type)
So,
- Recipients with blood type O… can receive a kidney from blood type O only
- Recipients with blood type A… can receive a kidney from blood types A and O
- Recipients with blood type B… can receive a kidney from blood types B and O
- Recipients with blood type AB… can receive a kidney from blood types A, B, AB and O (AB is the universal recipient: recipients with AB blood are compatible with any other blood type)