The Safety Of Blood Essay, Research Paper

The Safety of Blood

A five-year old miss is siting down the street, on her manner to her best friend? s house. She doesn? Ts have a attention in the universe and is

softly humming to herself. Suddenly a auto whips around the corner and swervings to avoid the kid, but he looses control and forthrightly

hits the miss, doing the her to fall and acquire trapped between the auto and her beat-up bike. A chief arteria in her leg has been severed

and blood fills the trough of the street. As she gets rushed to the infirmary in the ambulance, a pint of blood is given to her to try to

replace some of the life giving fluid that is pouring out of her leg. In the terminal she received four pints of blood and made a full recovery.

Although everything turned out wholly right for the miss, things could hold been much different. What if that blood hadn? t been there

because the state? s blood supply was low? What if the blood that she received had been infected with a deathly disease such as Syphilis

or HIV? These are pressing concerns for today? s society. Even though one in every five people will necessitate a blood transfusion and the hazard

of undertaking a disease such as AIDS is practically negligible, people are still concerned that the blood that they receive may hold

harmful or deathly diseases and that today? s blood supply is non & # 8220 ; safe. & # 8221 ;

However, & # 8220 ; safe & # 8221 ; means different things for different people. For some, safe is an absolute security from any danger. This is an

utmost point of view, though, because most people realize that one can ne’er be wholly safe. Another, and more popularly held

intension of & # 8220 ; safe, & # 8221 ; is the chance of non acquiring hurt. This is a much more sensible and plausible definition and therefor will be

used throughout this paper. However, even though the overpowering chance is that nil will travel incorrect, people still fear that the

state? s blood supply is insecure. They are wrong in this belief, though, because much is done to guarantee that the state? s blood supply is,

in fact, safe.

One demand to holding a safe blood supply is to hold an extended modesty, because this allows for the option of flinging any

blood that is potentially insecure. The confidence of an ample blood supply begins with the contribution procedure. Most of the people in this

state have the capableness to donate blood. However, merely 4 per centum of the eligible population really donates.1 There are few

limitations and the ground why there are blood deficits is because people don? T want to donate as opposed to can? t donate. For most

blood centres, the physical standards that a giver must run into are as follows: individual must be at least 17 old ages of age, weigh 110 lbs, and

be in good physical wellness. However, if so many people can donate blood why do so few choose to?

Most people are afraid of giving blood. There are many misconceptions about the procedure of donating blood and receiving

transfusions. For illustration, people believe that there is a danger of catching diseases, particularly AIDS, from the acerate leafs used during the

procedure. However, these opportunities are zero, and a individual has less of a opportunity of undertaking a disease while giving blood than he has in

any other ordinary state of affairs

Actually, people have small to fear about giving blood. Many safeguards are taken to guarantee that the procedure is safe for the giver,

and the blood that is received is safe for the receiver. Before the giver even gets near to the bed or the needle, he foremost must finish

a thorough study inquiring about his yesteryear and potentially hazardous behaviour. The study asks about recent sexual brushs, concentrating on

homosexual state of affairss. It besides asks about drug usage, organic structure piercing, and harlotry, which are all considered to be & # 8220 ; at hazard behaviors. & # 8221 ; If

the giver has participated in such behaviour he will non be allowed to donate until a clip when it is safer for everyone involved. If the

giver passes the showing, his blood is collected in a new, fictile bag with a trade name new acerate leaf. The needle and everything used during

the procedure, from the finger lancet to the cotton swabs, are disposed of alternatively of being reused, which eliminates the possibility of

something non being decently sterilized. Besides, if by opportunity, the nurse misses the vena and must reinsert a acerate leaf, he will get down over with

a new acerate leaf, to guarantee asepsis. After

the blood is drawn, it is sent to certain research labs, where it is tested for diseases such as HIV. If

there is a job, the giver will even be notified to guarantee that he or she doesn? T put anyone else at hazard. At any point in this procedure,

blood that does non make the proper criterions will be removed from the supply, guaranting safety. In fact, two to ten per centum of the units

of blood that are received end up being removed because of uncertainness. 2

Another ground why people may be hesitating to donate is because they don? T know the benefits of giving blood. First, because of the

testing procedure, the giver receives a kind of mini-physical every eight hebdomads. This lets a individual maintain a cheque on his or her blood

force per unit area, pulsation, temperature, weight, and Fe reading. It is a good manner to guarantee that one is staying healthy. Besides, non merely does the

blood that is given aid person in despairing demand of it, the giver feels good about himself, excessively. The giver can walk out of the centre

with a house sense that he has helped person in demand.

After the blood is drawn, many trials are performed on it, supplying another manner to see that the blood supply is safe. Testing is

done for Syphilis, Hepititis B and C, unnatural liver map, and Human T-Lymphotrophic Virus type I and type II. All of these diseases

are blood-born and have the potency of being highly harmful if non fatal. However, the chief fright that people have sing a blood

transfusion is that they may contract AIDS. This is a consequence of a deficiency of understanding about what AIDS is or how it is tested.

AIDS, an acronym for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is a blood-born disease that attacks one? s immune system, go forthing him

susceptible to lesser diseases that may non be a menace to a individual with a healthy immune system. It is caused by a virus known as HIV

( human immunodeficiency virus ) and over a few old ages develops into AIDS. The lone ways to contract HIV are through bodily fluids:

blood, seeds, vaginal fluid, or chest milk. It is because blood is one of the agencies of undertaking the disease, many people are afraid of

donating and having blood. However, HIV is besides one of the diseases exhaustively tested for in the testing procedure. Two HIV related

trials are performed, one for the HIV antigen and the other for the HIV antibody. The intent of proving twice is to guarantee that the

presence of the disease is noticed. If a individual trials positive for either the HIV antigen or antibody, he is for good deferred, intending

that he will ne’er be allowed to donate.1

The chief ground why people are concerned about the safety of the blood supply is because they are afraid of undertaking a disease in

the event that they need to have blood. However, safeguards are besides made to see the safety of blood transfusions. For illustration, all

of the blood used for transfusions either comes from the blood centre or is drawn by the same methods. This insures that the degree of

asepsis and proving for harmful diseases is every bit high as it is for contribution. In the infirmary, unfertile one-use acerate leafs are besides used as they are

in the blood centre. Besides, careful showing is done to do certain that the blood types lucifer and that the giver blood is compatible with

the a patient? s blood, forestalling diseases such as icterus. In both the blood centre where the contributions take topographic point and the infirmary

where the transfusions occur, the staff is extremely trained and knowing. Each nurse or helper must hold basic medical preparation to

acquire the occupation, and although human mistake exists, it is minimum.

Due to the many precautions and safeguards taken, the blood supply in America is safe. The hazard of undertaking a disease from the

contribution procedure is rather minimum and there are more grounds to give blood than non to give blood. It is my sentiment that if a individual can

give blood, they should. Donating blood is baronial, safe, and painless, and when blood is given, the giver gets a fantastic feeling of

making good for person and can be confident that he or she may hold saved a life. So when that small girl arrives at the infirmary,

unconscious and hemorrhage, she can be certain that the blood she receives will be safe.

Plants Cited

The Blood Center of Southeastern Wisconsin, & # 8220 ; Testing Performed on All Blood Donations & # 8221 ; 5/96

2 The American Association of Blood Banks, & # 8221 ; Recieving Blood & # 8221 ; 1995