What type of red cells can be transfused to an O-negative patient?

Transfusion compatibility is crucial in blood banking to prevent adverse reactions. An O-negative patient is considered a universal donor for red blood cells, which means they can donate blood to anyone. However, when it comes to receiving blood, the O-negative patient can only safely receive red blood cells from other O-negative donors.

This is because O-negative blood lacks A, B, and Rh antigens, making it free from possible immune reactions against transfused red cells from A, B, and AB types, which have these antigens. Since an O-negative patient has anti-A and anti-B antibodies in their plasma, transfusing any red cells that express these antigens (such as A type, B type, or AB type) would lead to a hemolytic transfusion reaction. Therefore, to ensure safety, only O-negative red cells are suitable for transfusion to an O-negative patient.

In this case, choosing only O-negative as the transfusion option aligns with the requirements for blood compatibility for an O-negative patient.