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Receiving A Blood Transfusion: What Patients Should
Know
What is done to make sure the blood patients receive
is safe?
Blood safety is regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital uses blood supplied by
the New Hampshire/Vermont Red Cross, which uses only
volunteer donors.
Efforts to improve blood safety have reduced many risks,
and are ongoing. Many tests are in place to reduce chances
of contamination.
Before giving blood, donors are screened for a history
to suggest disease. Only people meeting strict standards
are allowed to donate blood.
Blood is tested for blood type and screened for infection.
The screening tests of donated blood have grown and
allow a great deal of safety. Some of the many tests
include those for hepatitis B and C, syphilis, and HIV,
the virus that causes AIDS. If diseases are found, the
blood is not used.
Before a patient receives blood, tests are done in
the hospital lab to match the donated blood with that
from the patient. Special pink wrist bands with each
patientıs own blood number for identification are attached
to make sure that patient gets the exact blood tested
for him or her.
During and after the transfusion, nurses check for
signs of reactions. It is important for patients to
tell nurses how they are feeling, and to ask any questions
they have at any time.
What are the risks of receiving blood?
There is a small risk of allergic reaction or infection.
When they do occur, symptoms are generally mild such
as fever, chills or hives and require little or no treatment.
Although very rare, more severe effects can occur.
The risk of disease transmission is also very small.
For instance, the odds of getting Hepatitis B from a
transfusion are 1 in 66,000 screened units of blood,
the risk of Hepatitis C is 1 in 100,000, and the risk
of HIV is 1 in 676,000.
What other choices do I have other than receiving blood
from the donated blood supply?
If you are to have surgery in the near future,
you may be able to donate your own blood to be used
within a specific time for yourself. This is called
autologous blood transfusion.
There is a range of products, drugs, and methods, which
can sometimes be used instead of blood. Talk with your
doctor or health care provider if you have questions.
Questions I want to ask:
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