A hospitalized 45-year-old patient complains of generalized aches and fatigue. They are currently receiving high-dose intravenous penicillin to fight an infection. A CBC and bilirubin are ordered. The hemoglobin result is 8.1 g/dL (reference interval: 13.5-18.0 g/dL) and the bilirubin is slightly elevated.
As penicillin is a medication that can be associated with drug-induced autoimmune hemolytic anemia via the drug-adsorption mechanism, what test would be helpful to ascertain if there is an immune reaction causing decreased red blood cell survival?
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