Article Published In Vol.13 (May-Jun 2025)

Detection of Blood Group “Bombay (Oh) Phenotype” Among the Saudi Population of Taif Province, Saudi Arabia

Author : Tariq E Elmissbah

Background: The blood type Bombay is uncommon. It was initially found in Bombay, India’s Mumbai. Due to the lack of H antigen, this blood group resembles O blood group at the time of blood grouping; nevertheless, upon cross-matching, it exhibits incompatibility with O group blood. To confirm the diagnosis, serum grouping or reverse grouping is necessary. Only individuals in this blood group are eligible to donate blood to patients who carry it. Here, we report a case of subarachnoid hemorrhage in a patient with the Bombay phenotype.
Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of the Bombay phenotype among O blood group donors in Taif city-Saudi Arabia.
Materials & Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out at Taif. Convenience sampling was used in this study, and samples were drawn from each participant only after verbal informed consent was granted. The study had 2000 participants. Patients and donors with blood type O provided three milliliters of venous blood in an EDTA tube
Results: No occurrences of the Bombay phenotype were detected during the study.
Conclusion: No Bombay blood type was recorded in this study. A meticulous process like blood grouping must be executed with the highest level of seriousness, including both forward and reverse grouping, to avert the risk of a patient obtaining erroneous blood, which could lead to severe hemolysis from transfusion.

Keywords: Bombay phenotype, blood group, H antigen, Saudi population