Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

blood conservation
Actions taken during med-
ical treatment and surgery to limit the amount of
donor blood needed.
blood count, complete
See 
CBC.
blood culture
A test that is designed to detect
microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, in
blepharospasm
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blood. A sample of blood obtained using a sterile
technique is placed in a culture medium and incu-
bated in a controlled environment. If microorgan-
isms grow, their type can be identified, and they can
be tested against different antibiotics for proper
treatment of the infection. Because microorganisms
may be only intermittently present in blood, a series
of blood cultures is often done before the result is
considered negative. See also 
bacteremia; sepsis;
septicemia.
blood group
An inherited feature on the surface
of the red blood cells. A series of related blood types
constitutes a blood group system, such as the Rh or
ABO system. The frequencies of the ABO and Rh
blood types vary from population to population. In
the US, the most common type is O+ (meaning O in
the ABO system and positive in the Rh system), which
is present in 37.4 percent of the population. The fre-
quencies in the US (in descending order) are O+
(37.4 percent), A+ (35.7 percent), B+ (8.5 per-
cent), O- (6.6 percent), A- (6.3 percent), AB+ (3.4
percent), B- (1.5 percent), and AB- (0.6 percent).
blood group, ABO
See 
ABO blood group.
blood in the urine
Blood that appears in the
urine. Also known as hematuria. Gross hematuria
refers to blood that is so plentiful in the urine that
the blood is visible with just the naked eye.
Microhematuria refers to blood in urine that is visi-
ble only under a microscope; there is so little blood
that it cannot be seen without magnification.
Hematuria, whether gross or microscopic, is abnor-
mal and should be further investigated. It may or may
not be accompanied by pain. Painful hematuria can
be caused by a number of disorders, including infec-
tions and stones in the urinary tract. Painless hema-
turia can also be due to a large number of causes,
including cancer.
blood marker
A sign of a disease or condition
that can be isolated from a blood sample. For exam-
ple, the monoclonal antibody D8/17 is a diagnostic
sign of pediatric autoimmune disorders associated
with streptococcus.