FOR SALE

As the economy worsens in Michigan, more of the state's residents are opting to supplement their income by participating in medical studies and selling their hair, eggs or plasma. The number of plasma donations in the country has increased from 10 million in 2005 to more than 17.5 million in 2008, an official from the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association said. Sixty plasma clinics opened in the U.S. last year, the official said.

BLOOD SAVERS

The Coffee Memorial Blood Center in Amarillo, Texas, is working with area hospitals to reduce unnecessary blood transfusions in an effort to address low blood supplies. The Northwest Texas Healthcare System has tapped a company with a Web-based program that can analyze whether or not patients should have received a blood transfusion, helping to educate staff on blood use. The Baptist St. Anthony's Health System is using Cell Saver, a device that collects patients' blood during surgery and prepares to pump it back if needed.

This idea is nothing new. When at St Luke's in Houston, already Texas Heart Institute had developed ways to save blood during surgeries. Fortunately, some doctors have been educated about efficiency in transfusion medicine. The days of only whole blood transfusion are over.

GAY BLOOD DONORS WANTED!

It's about time. -

San Jose, Calif. - The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to formally oppose a lifetime ban on gay male blood donors. The board did not go as far as San Jose State University's policy banning blood drives, because they say they ultimately want to increase the local supply of blood and blood donations.

Last year, the Red Cross and the American Association of Blood Banks called on the FDA to reverse the lifetime ban, citing the fact that in most parts of the country, blood supplies are running critically low. Most of the donated blood we use here in the bay area comes from the midwest – it is, therefore, very expensive. All the donated blood, regardless of its source, undergoes thorough testing for everything from anemia to HIV but the FDA’s rules are still being applied to blood bank operations across the country.

Link

Read AABB's joint statement on "behavior-based blood donor deferrals." [I love these euphemisms.]

AABB, ABC and ARC believe that the current lifetime deferral for men who have had sex with other men is medically and scientifically unwarranted and recommend that deferral criteria be modified and made comparable with criteria for other groups at increased risk for sexual transmission of transfusion-transmitted infections. Presenting blood donors judged to be at risk of exposure via heterosexual routes are deferred for one year while men who have had sex with another man even once since 1977 are permanently deferred.

I was deferred permanently due to Hepatitis B core antibody blood screening back in the late 1980's - one pint short of becoming a two gallon blood donor. If that were not the case, I'd still be permanently deferred because of my "behaviour." What do you all think of our local board of health introducing a (albeit symbolic) recommendation to the Burlington City Council in solidarity with the Santa Clara board? I know there have been concerns expressed on the UVM campus regarding these donor deferrals. I try to keep up on blood donor news and issues; I was not aware of the AABB/ARC recommendations a few years ago.

The Canadian Tainted Blood Scandal

An Ontario court has acquitted those responsible of wrongdoing.

John Plater of the Canadian Hemophilia Society expressed bewilderment at the verdict. "If you, on the one hand, have a study that says there's a problem, and on the other hand have a study that says maybe there isn't a problem, any reasonable person takes the product off the market. They didn't. People were infected, and people died," Plater said. "How that could be considered reasonable behavior is beyond us."

Donate Blood!

Traditionally, in summer, there's a shortage of blood on the hospital shelves, as today's Burlington Free Press story explains. I've added a comment (scroll down to see), explaining the reasons to screen blood donors, why blood banks don't draw blood from paid donors, but particularly about the ARC's double standard against gay and bisexual men being permanently deferred from donating blood.

It is important to have blood on the shelf. Even if you don't agree with the ARC's homophobic screening, don't let patients' blood needs go lacking - it's a good deed to donate blood! The ARC blood donor center in Burlington is at 32 N. Prospect St. Telephone: 1-802-660-9130.

In my nearly 20 year career in blood banking, I've seen how the blood is used to help pediatric and adult cancer and cardiac patients. I also organised bone marrow registry drives in conjunction with blood drives.(Facts about cellular therapies.)

American Association of Blood Banks Blood Donation FAQ

Relatedly, the Mayo Clinic debunks some myths about organ donation and transplant.