Blood Banking
Here’s how to remember the Universal Donor and Universal Recipient blood types using the TV show “HOUSE”::
House Season #4 Episode 408 "You Don't Want To Know"
Blood Group Mnemonic
In House Season #4 Episode 408, we find out Dr House and Dr Wilson’s blood types:
WILSON: "Of course [House], you're type AB. Universal recipient, you take from everybody."
HOUSE: "Of course [Wilson], you're type O. Universal donor. No wonder you're paying three alimonies."
AB = Universal recipient
House is blood type AB and “he takes from everybody!”
O = Universal dOnor
Dr. WilsOn’s blood type is O and he is very giving => “No wonder you're paying three alimonies.”
Now for bonus points, What’s wrong with these statements by Dr House and his team?
****Spoiler alert****
If you haven’t seen this episode yet, (it’s a pretty good one) then don’t read further or it will give away the answer to the episode!
****Spoiler alert****
Episode summary
A magician’s heart stops during a performance. He originally has Lupus (yes…. I know…. On House it’s never supposed to be Lupus!!!!) and then he gets much worse when he is given an AB blood transfusion when his blood is type A.
HOUSE: "It's not amyloidosis. And his blood's fine, we just gave him the wrong type. Caused the DIC, explains the bleeding, multisystem failures."
Dr. Hadley: "But we tested his blood."
HOUSE: "That's because we don't test blood for type. We test for antibodies."
FOREMAN: "Because your body only makes those antibodies when you actually have that type of blood."
HOUSE: "Apparently, he has one more symptom, his body's making an extra antibody, type B. Combine that with his natural type A, and presto change-o, he magically pulls blood type AB out of his hat."
For more about Blood Banking check out “Dexter Medical Mistake”.
Special Thanks to Dr. Ihab Banayoti.