What the Direct Coombs Test (DCT) measures
The direct Coombs test, also called the direct antiglobulin test, checks whether antibodies or complement proteins are attached to the surface of your red blood cells. When they are, the immune system may be destroying those red cells early, a process called haemolysis. Doctors use the test to investigate haemolytic anaemia, including autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, where the body makes antibodies against its own red cells; reactions after a blood transfusion; haemolytic disease of the newborn, where antibodies from the mother affect the baby’s red cells; and haemolysis triggered by certain medicines. A positive result does not on its own prove that haemolysis is happening, because some people test positive without any illness. It is read with the haemoglobin, reticulocyte count, bilirubin and LDH. The direct test is different from the indirect Coombs test (ICT), which looks for free antibodies in the serum and is used in pregnancy, particularly for Rh-negative mothers, and before a blood transfusion.
Price: the Direct Coombs Test (DCT) costs ₹560 at Pure Bliss (MRP ₹700), with the sample collected at our Action Area 2, New Town centre or at your home.
Who this test is for
- Unexplained anaemia with jaundice or a raised bilirubin
- A suspected reaction after a blood transfusion
- Newborn jaundice where the paediatrician suspects antibody-related haemolysis
- Anaemia that may be linked to a medicine or an autoimmune condition
How to prepare, the sample, and when to expect the report
Preparation
No fasting is needed. Tell us about any blood transfusion in the past three months and the medicines you take, as both affect how the result is read.
Sample
Blood, from a vein in the arm (whole blood in an EDTA tube).
Reporting time
Within 24 hours.
Reading the result
The result is reported as positive or negative, sometimes graded by strength. Reference ranges differ between laboratories, so your report lists the laboratory’s own range beside each value. A result outside the range does not always mean illness; ask your doctor to explain it.
- Centre or home collection
- NABL-accredited Redcliffe Labs collection centre
- How collection works →