Are there any disadvantages for accepting blood?

I too have had a blood transfusion when I had a road accident 5 years ago. All is well with me hopefully. Blood is processed and tested for compatibility as well as for any possible diseases. "All donated blood is tested for infections. The current protocol tests donated blood for HIV-1, HIV-2, HTLV-1, HTLV-2, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Syphilis (T pallidum), Chagas disease (T cruzi), and West Nile Virus. In addition, platelet products are also tested for bacterial infections due to its higher inclination for contamination due to storage at room temperature. Presence of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is also tested because of risk to certain immunocompromised recipients if given, such as those with organ transplant or HIV. However, not all blood is tested for CMV because only a certain amount of CMV-negative blood needs to be available to supply patient needs. Other than positivity for CMV, any products tested positive for infections are not used." Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_transfusions From the above it shows that every care is taken before blood is transfused

I've never needed blood transfusion...but when anyone in the family needs it, we look at family members first to be donors. I'm from a huge family. As far as I know, the blood in the blood banks are tested and checked....but of course, there might be a few smaller checks that are not made.

Excellent topic for discussion Sree! It is really scary to think in these lines . However, as allknowing has pointed out, I guess it is mandatory for hospitals to be as careful and cautious as possible. We have to really believe only in GOd and nothing can help us other than His hand in this totally corrupt world. THe doctor may have been unable to identify the real problem with your friend and may have conveniently shifted the blame like this . We will have to go from the majority of responses you get here. Did your friend take care of herself after the operation? Did she have a proper post operative care? Now, with problems compounding , she will tend to feel even more guilty and depressed . Ask her to go to her parents' place for a change if she had had this operation in her husabnd's place ;a good period of rest for a month may do her some good[provided it is feasible of course]

Hello, In emergency we have not more options. So we must be accept blood of any donor. I never need blood. What happened with your friend may be possible if we get blood from government blood bank. Every one know about the working style of government hospitals. We must be preferred blood from a private blood bank. Although it is costly then government blood bank.

Hi Sree, Your topic has timely importance. I think the hospital doctors are just skipping their responses by saying like this. In fact, from my experiences, I think when we donate or provide blood to any hospital or blood bank, we are supposed to fill a form where so many questions are asked including our physical and disease history also. Like whether we had previous operations, accepted blood before, given blood before, background of other illness etc. We just fill the form without knowing all these and even the hospital people never check for the accuracy. They will check the basic contents like sugar and some routine counts and blood group to confirm. Now-a-days, they can go through proper checking of the blood if there is any inconsistencies. Last month I gone to donate the blood to a patient and after testing the blood, the technician informed me that today it seems that you got my BP level slightly on the border line so that they cannot accept the blood. He asked me to relax and take rest for 15 mts. and again check and there was minor difference. In fact I had a late night sleep on the previous night and that was the immediate reason for the variation. However, the blood was required to an old aged person for an operation. As it was a direct donation (not replacement of any group) and I was the person who belongs to the same group. I think here they did well and they didn't accept my blood and asked me to come in the next day morning, if ok, they will collect as the operation was supposed to be in the next day. So, I think some hospitals are particular and strict on their formalities where as in many places it is not. I used to give blood for every 3-4 months and it is for the last 13-15 years. Still I am having no problems and this is the first time I said NO to accept. As a continuation to it, there was a blood donation camp one of the railway station here and I showed my willingness to give the blood. They did the routine check up and took my blood as usual. So, I think if we are aware of that we are affected any kind of major illness and medicated for a long period or it is on going, it is my suggestion that we should not give blood to others. If we are not there, somebody will be there for the same. In your example also, the matter CAN be something else also. All are depend on the physical conditions of the person and the medicine they are used. One of my friend's son was affected with a normal fever and he was adivised wrong medicine. The 18 years brilliant boy is under treatment for the last 3-4 years and his fate in the hands of God now. They spend about 20-22 lakhs and more and for operations and hospital charges. It is so sad to see the boy now and just a minor carelessness caused all these. So, everything is depend on various matters and even doctors and hospital authorities are also won't care much of it. If we talk about the doctors and hospitals around, we need a separate topic itself. Thank-s

Hello there! There many disadvantages of accepting blood. One is you are not sure if the blood is 100% clean, another is incompatibility of patients blood from the donor, contamination of the blood in the process of transfusion and Hemolysis- a term used in medicine when kidneys fail in the process of transfusion. This happens when haemoglobin is released in the blood stream. I hope my reply to your discussion helps in some way or another.

Hi Sree dear, to me it's considered to be very unsafety to accept blood from unknown donar for there were cases happened here before unfortunate recivers were discovered to suffer from aids. But as what we know aid has quite long latent period and it's not easy to find out. I also learned from the local news saying that blood donars were not checked properly before the donation. It's suspected also that during blood transfusion used injection needles were reused without thouroughly disinfection It's really scary that the donars blood has saved a person timely but it's great sorrow that it actually pushes him to another grevous pain. I had donated blood several times before but I haven't accepted blood before. I hope all blood donars are conscientious to donate blood to save others life but not for the selfish purpose just to make money without take into account that their unhealthy blood will destroy others fortune and undergo a grievous lengtily life Today is already 28 sept lol...means that I'm a week later to join in the discussion. Take care and have a nice day dear

Hi,i think if it is not very necessary, i don't want to accept blood from others, and if i have to accept blood from others, first, i will have to find my family members or friends i know very well for help. Because it is so dangerous to accept blood from a blood bank. Because as you have said, tests only check some major diseases, and there are lots of others selling blood for life. I have donated blood twice. I think it is our responsibility to help others. So i made the donations. I am a healthy person, don't have any diseases. If not, i won't donate blood to infect others.

I think sometimes it is too difficult to ensure that the blood will be safe. If you need it when you have the surgery, what if the blood is polluted with some diseases? This may cause a worse situation. In fact I always wonder why the doctor will not consider the donated blood which comes from the patient's relatives at first? I am sure the relatives will be willing to donate the blood at that time. Since they are relatives, at least we know their health situation. It may be safer. By the way, I haven't had an operation which needs to accept the blood yet. But if I have such a chance one day, I hope that my doctor will accept my idea and adopt my relatives' blood. I love China

Your friend has been very unfortunate. I have neither received blood nor donated blood at all. But last year my brother had to receive blood after his bypass. Luckily he did not have any complications after the blood transfusion. We took the blood from the blood bank because we were in a hurry and there was no one around to donate at that moment.

I've read that you've got some good answer or responses regarding to blood transfussion, which maybe helped your friend! I don't know much about this matter anyway, LOL! My Sister had gone under blood transfussion, we all (my family) noticed that she's acting differently for the past few weeks and we all just thought that it maybe the new blood! She's pretty much back to normal after that few weeks and thank God I haven't heard that she get sick badly again.

dear sis, I am also a blood recipient with my first delivery (i gave birth thru ceasarian section- all 3 kids) But only with my first child that I was given a blood transfusion due to blood loss. I am not sure about the process of blood donation in your place. but here in our country, the Red Cross are very meticulous with checking the blood donors. You cannot even donate or sell blood if you have colds or cough..not even with a small tattoo. I am thankful that after 18 years since I gave birth to my first child, I never had any problem with my health. Maybe your friend needs proper health check-up...so needs to know her well-being before it get worst. Have a good day sis

I think there is a situation where one has to be careful. There is the dangers of getting unpure blood. It is never safe. There are cases of these, so it is better that if one will be sourcing for this, the blood should come from responsible sources, and reputable institutions.

Hello,guy,as I know, accepted blood has some disavantages for a person. One thing is you may not sure the origination of the blood, that means you can not sure whether the blood is clean, without no virus or not. Additionally, each one has his own kind of blood. Nowadays it is too simple to classify all the blood into A B O AB four sorts. So,there is high possibility of some condition that once a patient accept a blood at the same time his body identify that the new blood is not belonged to him. It would make a serious accident.

I have donated blood to others and I have also received blood. My husband gave me blood when I had to have surgery.

Dear friend, I feel receiving blood at the time when it is needed most sometimes makes the needer in hurry. But the authorities those who do this procedure should be careful to test the blood and blood donor as long as there are various hidden diseases which may be know with proper diagonalize. Here in our region the healthy donors are given identification cards. One of my aunt had to accept blood and we got it from the recognized donor. She is going well even after 5 years of surgery. I feel the hospital or the concern authorities have to be more careful while they get blood from a donor.

Hi friend!I believe it is the blood bank's responsibility to assure that the blood they give out are safe. Isn't that before a person can donate a blood he must first be tested if he is really qualified to donate? Even if one has colds only and no other sickness(imagine just colds) he can't donate blood unless she has recovered. Now if a blood bank does not do that process then it is really very risky. Blood transfusion is a serious thing because if one gets a blood from another who has HIV, or Hepatitis or whatever disease that is really a big, big problem.

Hi Sreekala, Hope you have recovered completely and back to normal routine. I was given three to four bottles of blood after my second delivery. I belong to the RH negative group and getting blood for this negative group is very rare. My husband is also RH negative but could donate blood as he has wheezing problem and i could also get the problem. So had to accept blood from the blood bank and since then there have been many health problems. Like you have said the doctors only see if there are some major diseases in the blood. Rickshawpullers and other people from the lower strata of the society with unhygienic habits donate blood for the sake of money. So there are more chances of getting other health problems when you accept blood. But nothing can be done in grave situations. Only god can help us. Happy mylotting.

I have been donating blood several times a year for over 40 years. Before the procedure they do a general check (blood pressure, temperature, etc.). After that they take a drop of blood to check the iron level. Finally, they go through a long list of questions which are so personal it is almost embarassing. But that is not the end. After the blood is collected it goes through several more tests. All of this is done to ensure that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the donor's blood at the time of collection. But this is how it is in the United States. If you live in a foreign country, the procedures and routines may be different.

I have been a blood donor for so many years now, it gives a lot of advantages being a blood donor. Whilst being a person who needs a blood, i think it is quite dangerous especially if the source of the blood or the blood bank does not follow strict instructions about screening the donors of the blood. Better be careful than facing tremendous outcome of receiving soiled blood. :)