Needs Help: AB Negative

This trope is pretty simple — basically, "whenever blood type comes up in fiction, it's almost always because the blood type necessary for transfusion is very rare." — yet its description goes on for ten paragraphs, many of which are fairly peripheral to the trope and would probably fit better on a Useful Notes page.

Yeah, that description could use some paring down...not really sure if the extra fat is worthy of going to a UN page or not.

Yeah, looks like we can really just cut out everything after "Blood in fiction really comes in only two types: universal donor (rare) and special needs (common), so that blood banks are overtaxed whenever the plot requires.". I'm also not thrilled about "AB Negative" as a name, but it doesn't need to be changed unless there's actually misuse. I added "Rare Blood Type" as a redirect.

I would cut most of the stuff before that, too. All this description really needs, in my opinion, is a brief overview of the trope and a little bit of a reality check. As such, the only paragraphs that seem to carry their weight are the very first one and the two related ones that begin with "Blood in fiction really comes in only two types..." and "In ideal medical conditions..." (The latter of which, assuming they stay, can probably be combined into one paragraph.)

edited 16th Nov '14 8:45:22 PM by poi99

Seems like most of the description is an attempt to explain why the trope is named as it is. Looks to me like the description can be trimmed down to this:

"Although most of the real world gets by quite peacefully with the more common blood types, in the world of entertainment only the rarest will do; if a character's blood type is mentioned, you can bet, if not your bottom dollar, then certainly one of the lower ones that it's going to be rare and special.

Blood in fiction really comes in only two types: universal donor (rare) and special needs (common), so that blood banks are overtaxed whenever the plot requires. Specifically, type O is considered to be a universal donor type. In reality, even the rarest blood type isn't all that hard to find a match for. In ideal medical conditions, doctors do prefer to match blood type as exactly as possible, especially when doing organ transplants to reduce the risk of rejection, but in a life-or-death situation - which is the only situation this trope would find worthwhile - any compatible blood type will do. The situation of needing rare blood types is an actual problem that happens in medicine, but usually deals with other red cell antigens, most of which are rarely mentioned outside the blood banking community.

Not to be confused with Did Not Do the Bloody Research or Personality Blood Types."

Everything else is fat that can go to a UN page.

edited 17th Nov '14 10:13:28 AM by Darksilverhawk

That seems sound to me.

I'd like a little more detail, like specifying which blood type is "universal donor".

But in general, yes, cut the rest out.

I'm not sure it really matters, though. Yes, O is usually considered the default "universal donor" type but literally anything else is "special needs," so without all the explanatory medical jargon that doesn't really mean anything. The trope at its heart is "blood is usually harder to find a match for in fiction than it is in reality."

We don't need detail on what blood type is how common. We might want some detail on what fiction consider is special and most importantly plot-appropriate.

Type O is the "universal donor" and I've seen it mentioned as such in stories, so that citation is probably good.

Alright, how about adding that into the beginning of the second paragraph:

"Blood in fiction really comes in only two types: universal donor (rare) and special needs (common), so that blood banks are overtaxed whenever the plot requires. Specifically, type O is considered to be a universal donor type. In reality, even the rarest blood type isn't all that hard to find a match for."

I like it.

Works for me.

It looks to me like we're at a consensus, so if there are no other burning objections I'll go ahead and swap in the new description.

Do we want to add a useful notes page for the excess information? I'm leaning towards no, but I'm less familiar with the standards for useful note pages.

I'm on the opinion of, if someone wants to add a UN, feel free, but otherwise it won't be missed.

Otherwise,

Add my vote to the suggested alteration, just in case you need another vote.

I'd suggest retaining the rest as a Useful Note just on the principle that someone took the time and trouble to write the information and unless the information really isn't useful after all, it would be disrespectful not to preserve it somewhere.

That's what I want if I'd been the one who put all of that effort into writing the description.

Do we really need a useful notes page on this? I'd be fine with linking out to the Wikipedia pages on ABO blood group system and Rh blood group system.

I think we can move the "Should we have an Useful Notes page on this?" question to YKTTW. If nobody wants to make one, nobody wants to make one. If someone does, they can discuss it in YKTTW.

So, we done here then?

Yep. Putting this one to bed.