Safe Blood Starts with Me - libdoc.who.int - World Health Organization

— Albumin, which is an importantprotein of the blood and issometimes used for critically illpatients who have lost largevolumes of body fluids.Is there any alternativeto blood?The need for transfusion can often beavoided by the prevention, earlydiagnosis and treatment of conditions,such as anaemia and malaria, thatmight otherwise lead to the need fortransfusion. It can also often beavoided by the use of intravenousreplacement fluids to replace bloodvolume or pharmaceuticals ormedical devices to minimize bloodloss.But there will always be manypatients whose lives depend on theavailability of safe blood. Manyothers, such as haemophiliacs, relyon blood products that are made fromdonated blood.Scientists are working to developartificial blood, but it will not beavailable in the foreseeable future.Which blood groupsare needed?There are four main blood groups: O,A, B and AB.Blood from donors of all blood groupsis always needed, but group O bloodis usually in greatest demand becauseit is the most common group and canalso be given to patients of otherblood groups.What is safe blood?Safe blood is blood that does no harmto the person who receives it. Safeblood can be life-saving, but unsafeblood can cause serious illness oreven death to the recipient.Blood is unsafe if, at the time ofdonation, any infection is present inthe donor’s blood that can betransmitted by transfusion or throughany blood products that have beenmanufactured from the blood.Infections that can be transmitted byblood include:• HIV, which leads to AIDS• Hepatitis B• Hepatitis C• Syphilis• Chagas disease• Malaria.Who can give blood?Blood can be donated by most peoplewho are healthy and do not have aninfection that can be transmittedthrough their blood.The age at which people are eligibleto give blood varies betweencountries, but is commonly betweenthe ages of 17 and 65.Provided that the criteria for safedonors are met, many centres willaccept donations from people fromthe age of 16 and will also extend theupper age limit beyond 65 years.Who should not give blood?You should not give blood if yourown health might suffer as aresult. The first concern of the bloodtransfusion service is to ensure thatblood donation does no harm to thedonor. You should not give blood if:— you are feeling unwell— you are pregnant or have beenpregnant within the last year— you have certain medicalconditions, such as heart disease,high or low blood pressure,diabetes, epilepsy— you are taking certainmedications.You may be able to donate blood at alater time. In some cases, however,you will be permanently excludedfrom donating blood in order toprotect your own health.You should not give blood if itmight cause harm to therecipient. Blood can transmit lifethreateninginfections to the patientswho receive it. You should not giveblood if:— you have or may have recentlycontracted a sexually-transmitteddisease, such as HIV or syphilis,that can be passed on to a patientthrough your blood— your lifestyle puts you at risk ofcontracting an infection that canbe transmitted through yourblood: for example, if you havemore than one sexual partner orhave sexual contact withprostitutes— you have ever injected drugs— if you have recently had a tattoo,skin scarification or ear or bodypiercing— you have had sexual contact withanyone in the above categories.119 ▲ WORLD HEALTH DAY ▼ SAFE BLOOD STARTS WITH ME