Archive for the ‘Blood Donation’ Category

Why Should I Make A Blood Donation At A Blood Bank?

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

All blood donations are when a caring, healthy individual voluntarily has some of their precious blood drawn. Blood donation is a safe process, spread of infection to the donor is not possible. The needles and bags used to collect the blood are used only once and then immediately discarded.

The vast majority of the people will not feel any different because of donation, your body will replace the lost fluid with in 24 hrs. The average adult body has 10 to 12 pints, the blood donation equals approx one pint of blood. The periods between donations a blood donor can donate their own blood differs dependent on whichever country they are in at the time of donation.

Donating two units of red blood cells through a similar process doubles the waiting period to 112 days. The people of America are permitted blood donations in large volumes spaced two times a week and in effect are able to donate 80 plus liters of their blood in any given year, whereas the same donor in Japan may only donate every second week and could only donate around 16 liters yearly. Another form of blood donating called aphaeresis which is donating only platelets generally only requires a 72 hour, (3 day), wait before the individual donor can further give blood platelets again. The waiting period between donations can vary greatly for other blood components.

It has been discovered that any blood donating men do may possibly reduce their risk of developing heart disease even though this link has not been firmly demonstrated. It has been found that by donating only one pint of blood in effect causes the donor to expend approximately 625 calories, which is not mentioned here as a diet technique but whatever reason a person may need to donate blood matters not. The mere fact that most blood donors are volunteers who give blood without pay for a community supply shows the importance of this life giving exercise.

Although it is common for members of a family who have someone in their circle that requires a blood transfusion to feel happy to then give blood, they should realize their are many others that require this gift on a daily basis. Therefore give life, give blood to your local blood bank. This can only improve our lives and if we had Society & Culture Directory it would get an “A” from us all for having a caring society and giving culture.

What better gift.

What better gift.

More about Blood Banks in History?

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Blood banks are the area where the blood is collected, stored, processed and supplied to those in need. In ancient times, unlike today when we have forensic science, people were not awarded of blood transfusion. They use to think that blood is the most important component of our body. Than in 1665, Richard lower conducted first blood transfusion between two dogs. This became successful. Then, others tried transfusing the blood from animals to humans, which went unsuccessful. Than in 1818, James, from Britain successfully transferred blood from husband (donor) to wife (acceptor).

But still, not all the cases were successful. Later, in 1901 Karl Landsteiner, born an Austrian who later became a physician, and the most important individual in the study of human blood transfusion, documented the first three human Blood groups (based on substances present on the red Blood cells), A, B and O. And fourth blood AB group was documented by A. Decastrello and A.sturli in 1902. Now when they were awarded of different types of blood groups than they also came to know about the reason why the earlier transfusions were sometimes successful and sometimes not. The first blood bank was organized at Chicago’s Cook County Hospital.

Irwin Memorial Blood Bank was the first community-based blood centre. It was established in San Francisco in 1941. Basic demand of blood banks was raised at the time of World War-II, when physicians saw the effectiveness of transfusion therapy. Dr. Charles helped supplying thousand units of blood to world war-II victims. The American Association of Blood Banks now known as the AABB, was originally formed to support, encourage and develop the practice for blood banks.

At the beginning of 1948 the American National Red Cross was able to operate blood program to collect and distribute blood to patients in need. In 1962, several communities joined hands together not to form a hobby or toy club but instead they started helping local hospitals, civic groups and medical centres to establish blood bank centres. And now as we all know that we have more than million blood banks all over the world. Many organizations like Red Cross and other NGOs help organizing blood donation camps in hospitals, schools or colleges to encourage all youngsters to donate blood. It should become easy with cell phones and all that texting that the youth do. Some even help vanish debt by selling blood platelets for a few dollars also

A child at play

A child at play

Why Is Baby Cord Family Services Secretive?

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Quietly, inconspicuously and possibly secretively Cord blood, especially placental cord blood, is changing many lives today. Through organizations like blood cord family services where the waste from a babies birth, otherwise known as placental cord blood, is being collected and which is now realized that it certainly is not waste in any form.

With health problems like leukemia a growing role is becoming obvious for umbical cord blood research as cord blood is playing an important function in treatment of such diseases. Also many other life-threatening blood diseases like lymphoma. Once if you had a bone marrow transplant offered and needed for a treatment for your medical condition, now you may be able to receive a cord blood transplant as a suitable option if available. This choice of using baby blood cord banking facilities is usually up to the Doctor in charge of your case.

Umbilical blood banking which uses cord blood that is taken from the baby and has such great curing expectations as it contains babies stem cells. In order to use this great resource the removing of the umbilical cord blood is in no way detrimental to the baby. In times gone by this blood would have normally be thrown away and treated as plain old medical waste. Along with research into mesothelioma and many other cancers this type of research is priceless.

The contraversy over baby blood cord banking comes about when it is not only stored by public facilities but also by private umbilical blood banking and cord blood services organozations for private use inthe future by the rich. The advanyage of having cord blood stored Publicly is they are able to accept donations of baby cord blood to be used for anyone in need. Whereas private cord blood banking groups dissimilar to public cord blood banking is not wholly supported by the medical community.

So I do not need my cord blood?

So I do not need my cord blood?