Blood Antibodies

Can someone please explain to me...in layman's terms....What blood anitibodies are. I'm having a brain-toot moment. I had to wait over 5 hours yesterday for 3 units of blood because the blood bank stated that the blood had antibodies and it took longer. I know that there are 3 types of antibodies. A, B, and Rh? Is that right? Please explain if you can. Thanks.
Antibodies in the blood are inherited. Type A blood has anti-B antibodies meaning that if you were type A and got Type B blood that your blood would attack it as an invader. Type B blood had anti-A antibodies, Type AB has neither anti-A or anti-B and Type O has both anti-A antibodies and anti-B antibodies. It gets a little confusing, but I hope this helps a little bit.

Quote from HappyJaxRNCan someone please explain to me...in layman's terms....What blood anitibodies are. I'm having a brain-toot moment. I had to wait over 5 hours yesterday for 3 units of blood because the blood bank stated that the blood had antibodies and it took longer. I know that there are 3 types of antibodies. A, B, and Rh? Is that right? Please explain if you can. Thanks.

I do not understand the whole antibody thing. My pt is transfusion dependent and has been for a couple of yrs now and requires a transfusion on the average of every other week. Now the transfusion center has told her that her blood is hard to match due to all the antibodies from all the previous transfusions. Can someone please explain this to me.