Scenario 8: Forensic Medicine
Name _____________________________________________________ Date __________________
Project 8.1 Topic: What’s Your Type?
Materials Needed
For the Class
• 20 clear disposable cups
• Permanent marker
• Yellow and blue food coloring
• Water
For Individual Students
• Paper and pencil to record observations
• Research resources
• Word processing access
• Internet access:
/landsteiner-bio.html
Introduction
Found bleeding from stab wounds near a bus stop at 17th and Lime, Mr. E.M. skew was
rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital emergency department. Waiting in Examining Room
, Dr. E.J. Brinkley, the emergency department physician on duty, immediately determined that
Mr. skew required a blood transfusion due to a massive loss of blood. Dr. Brinkley asked the
registered nurse who would administer the transfusion to contact the lab. fter the urgent call,
the lab sent a phlebotomist to collect a sample of Mr. skew’s blood. Back at the lab, a medical
laboratory technician waited impatiently to type and crossmatch the sample before determining
what kind of blood to order for Mr. skew’s transfusion. Meanwhile, the Emergency Department
team continued to examine and observe their patient, evaluate his symptoms and clean and
suture his wounds.
P RT 1: Blood Types
Life-saving blood can sometimes be life threatening for a variety of reasons. One reason is
incompatibility between a patient’s blood and donated blood. The following demonstration
will simulate a process to show which blood types are compatible and which are not. Your
teacher will name four students to demonstrate. Everyone else in the class will observe the
demonstration using colored water to simulate the four blood types – “ ,” “B,” “ B” and “O.”
ab Procedure
You will be observing four students mix colored water that represents a particular
blood type – , B, B, or O. fter each transfer of colored water, record what you
observed. For example, when colored water from a cup marked “ ” is poured into
another cup marked “ ,” record what you observe on the following record sheet.
(continued)
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