Kleihauer–Betke test

Kleihauer–Betke test
Kleihauer test, showing fetal red blood cells in rose-pink color, while adult red blood cells are only seen as "ghosts"
Purposemeasures fetal hemoglobin transfer

The Kleihauer–Betke ("KB") test, Kleihauer–Betke ("KB") stain, Kleihauer test or acid elution test is a blood test used to measure the amount of fetal hemoglobin transferred from a fetus to a mother's bloodstream. It is usually performed on Rh-negative mothers to determine the required dose of Rho(D) immune globulin (RhIg) to inhibit formation of Rh antibodies in the mother and prevent Rh disease in future Rh-positive children. It is named after Enno Kleihauer and Klaus Betke who described it in 1957.

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