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Coomb's test
A Coomb's test is a test for antibodies or complement (another
protein/enzyme that works with antibodies) attached to the surface
of red blood cells. It is possible to do a general test for these
without knowing the specific antibody due to similarities between
most of the antibodies that attach to red blood cells.
When a bacteria, a drug or anything else attaches itself to red
blood cells (rbcs) the body tries to attack it with antibodies as it
would if it wasn't attached to rbcs. This can lead to lysis of the
red cells, which is usually referred to as immune mediated hemolytic
anaemia (IMHA). So a positive Coomb's test indicates a strong
possibility of IMHA. This test can also be positive for other
reasons, including ehrlichia, demodecosis and severe infections. It
is possible to have a negative Coomb's test and still have IMHA, as
well.
Even though the most commonly run Coomb's test is kind of a general
screen, it is possible to test for specific types of antibodies, if
desired. Sometimes this helps in establishing a prognosis if IMHA is
suspected.
