What should be done next if a patient is confirmed as AB positive with mixed agglutination?

When a patient is confirmed as AB positive with mixed agglutination, running a saline control is a crucial next step. Mixed agglutination can suggest that there may be a non-specific agglutination reaction occurring in the typing process. A saline control helps to distinguish whether the agglutination observed is due to specific antigen-antibody interactions or if it is due to other factors, such as nonspecific agglutination caused by proteins or contaminants in the reagent or sample.

By adding saline as a diluent, it allows the cells to be tested without the influence of other components that might be causing false positivity. If the saline control demonstrates no agglutination, this indicates that the original mixed agglutination was likely a result of technical or nonspecific issues, helping to ensure accuracy in the patient's blood type confirmation.

The other options, such as retyping the sample or repeating Rh typing, while important to consider in certain circumstances, do not directly address the issue of mixed agglutination in this context. Reporting the findings without investigating the cause of mixed agglutination may lead to inaccuracies in patient management or transfusion compatibility. Thus, running a saline control is a key step to clarify and confirm