NoBlood

I like the summary of problems with blood in this article.
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SR woman dies after transfusion
Investigators suspect death tied to pint of blood administered before death; supply called 'safe'
Wednesday, August 25, 2004

By CAROL BENFELL
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT


Health care officials are focusing on a single pint of blood to determine what went wrong in the death of an 86-year-old Santa Rosa woman Sunday following a transfusion at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

Memorial Hospital and the Blood Bank of the Redwoods, which supplied the blood for the transfusion, are investigating all aspects of the handling, storage and administration of the blood in an effort to find out what killed Margaret Perry of Santa Rosa.

No other units of blood have been recalled, and transfusions are continuing at Sonoma County hospitals, said Cathy Bryan, president and CEO of Blood Bank of the Redwoods.

"The blood supply is safe," Bryan said, citing the regular screening and testing of donated blood. "We have every reason to believe this was an isolated incident, involving one unit of blood only."

She would not comment on the details of the investigation. The state Department of Health Services and federal Food and Drug Administration also are investigating, as they do when a hospital patient dies under unusual circumstances.

* * *
Each year, more than 4 million people undergo blood transfusions, according to the American Association of Blood Banks.

About one in every 500,000 people who receive a blood tranfusion dies as a result, according to a 1997 paper in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology.

Most transfusion-related illnesses and deaths are the result of mismatches, where the donor's blood is not compatible with the patient's blood, or of viral infections carried from the blood of the donor to the recipient.

The risk of receiving infected blood has been greatly reduced in recent years as tests have been introduced for such things as syphilis, hepatitis, HIV and West Nile virus.

However, non-infectious reactions continue to be a risk. Bacterial contamination may result from skin bacteria that get into the bloodstream through the injection site, contaminated injection apparatus or during handling or administration of the blood.

Deaths from bacterial contamination occur about once in every 9 million transfusions, according to medical journals.

Of 182 transfusion-associated fatalities reported between 1986 and 1991, 29 - 16 percent - were caused by bacterial contamination, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The entire article is here:
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/p...29/1033/NEWS01

jsut skimmed article, did they do any tests to determine the cause

e.g. post mortem [if appropriate]?

The numbers here don't make sense-if 4 million people a year have blood transfusions, approx 8 a year would die. Yet the number-182 suspected fatalities in 5 years would indicate several times that many deaths from blood transfusions(would be about 40 total if the 1/500,000 number was correct. How many are known to be a direct cause of blood transfusions? And why the discrepancy, unless currently the practices have improved greatly by 1997?

A very elderly woman died after a blood transfusion-but why was she being transfused?

How many people die every year that don't receive blood transfusions that have been recommended as likely to be lifesaving?

How many JWs die due to this personal conviction?

Are there other religions which believe the same way for the same reasons?



Each year, more than 4 million people undergo blood transfusions, according to the American Association of Blood Banks.

About one in every 500,000 people who receive a blood tranfusion dies as a result, according to a 1997 paper in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology.

Most transfusion-related illnesses and deaths are the result of mismatches, where the donor's blood is not compatible with the patient's blood, or of viral infections carried from the blood of the donor to the recipient.

The risk of receiving infected blood has been greatly reduced in recent years as tests have been introduced for such things as syphilis, hepatitis, HIV and West Nile virus.

However, non-infectious reactions continue to be a risk. Bacterial contamination may result from skin bacteria that get into the bloodstream through the injection site, contaminated injection apparatus or during handling or administration of the blood.

Deaths from bacterial contamination occur about once in every 9 million transfusions, according to medical journals.

Of 182 transfusion-associated fatalities reported between 1986 and 1991, 29 - 16 percent - were caused by bacterial contamination, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The entire article is here:
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/p...29/1033/NEWS01[/quote]

I looked at the figures too, and thought they didn't [seem to] addup
What about sterilisation using heat fto destroy viruses + bacteria in blood [is it possible/routinely done?]

I think on the pharmacy course they mentioned heating at 60oC for 30 minutes kills viruses but doesn't harm blood [blood consists partly of proteins which would denature at high temperatures]

does this happen, and would this not just increase bacterial growth?

My friend, it is not that the transfused blood directly causes death. its rather our bodies reaction to it(as in case of allergy) that may cause death. to put it in simple terms, the bloodstream of the person will generate antibodies that fight the infused blood. so, its not advisable to even try it as we cant judge the patient's reaction.

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canada pharmacy

I bet this one wasn't all over the news!

4/9/2008: The url with the main article is not available anymore. Does anyone have a copy? Thanks. 21stCentury