Cold Agglutinins: What To Think About

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What To Think About

• More than half of people infected with pneumonia caused by mycoplasma develop high levels of cold agglutinins. Newer tests for mycoplasma pneumonia have replaced the cold agglutinins blood test.
• If clumped red blood cells (called a Rouleaux formation) are seen on a complete blood count (CBC) test, your doctor may order a cold agglutinins test to see whether high cold agglutinin levels are present.
• A blood type test is done before a blood transfusion or organ transplant to make sure that the donor's and recipient's blood types match. Blood that has high levels of cold agglutinins may be hard to type. For more information, see the medical test Blood Type Test.
• If a person has high levels of cold agglutinins and has symptoms brought on by cold temperatures, it is important for this person to be kept warm. High levels of cold agglutinins in this case could lead to frostbite, anemia, or Raynaud's phenomenon. Medicines to help lower high levels of cold agglutinins may be given when severe symptoms are brought on by cold exposure.
• Older adults may have high titers of cold agglutinins that last for years.
• Cold agglutinins in the blood can cause problems with automated machines that measure blood count.

Last updated:	June 12, 2008
Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS
Reviewed By:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine, W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer