Giving Blood

Originally Posted by tigersaw

? Whats the ruling on that then? Its 20 years since I got at tattoo, but longer since I gave blood, I remember the bit about not taking asprins etc 48 hours prior, but thats about it

6 months, according to the Blood Transfusion web site www.blood.co.uk

[DarrenSV650S]

Originally Posted by tigersaw

? Whats the ruling on that then? Its 20 years since I got at tattoo, but longer since I gave blood, I remember the bit about not taking asprins etc 48 hours prior, but thats about it

On the back of the letter I got, it says if you have had ear/body piercing or a tattoo within the last year your blood could transmit an infection. Also if you have visited the dentist within the past 24 hours

...they rejected me last time round cos I'd just got back from the USA and they said I might have West Nile Disease

[TEC]

Huh I never got a letter but I don't really need one, just know its the right thing to do never know when I am going to need it back

[flymo]

I donate regularly I think its great to do considering how easy it is.

On the 'daft' rules though I did read an article in one of their magazines about how infections spread through blood donations and they were able to show how infections were much more likely in countries that didnt have strict selection criteria. So fair enough I suppose, wouldnt want to catch 'tattoo disease' or anything......eewwww.

Originally Posted by DarrenSV650S

If this doesn't guilt trip you into giving blood nothing will

i have no guilt as i have given about 20 pints over the years

[northwind]

Originally Posted by flymo_racer

On the 'daft' rules though I did read an article in one of their magazines about how infections spread through blood donations and they were able to show how infections were much more likely in countries that didnt have strict selection criteria. So fair enough I suppose, wouldnt want to catch 'tattoo disease' or anything......eewwww.

Oh aye, very true, good selection criteria are essential- we've been caught twice in this country already after all, so it's no wonder we're a bit paranoid. But there's probably a middle ground. At the moment (according to a doctor mate) we're banning a significant number of suitable, safe candidates, and often younger and fitter ones (since statistically within the donor age ranges we're more likely to be getting tattoos and bein' all deviant and stuff.) who're also statistically very likely to give blood... while at the same time guilt tripping everyone else. Maybe if the risks of running short are so big we could run a 2-stage blood bank, a primary store of "known good" blood and a secondary, emergency store of "smells a bit funny when you take it out of the fridge" slightly suspect blood to be used only when the main stocks fall.

Originally Posted by tricky

Plasma, platelet, immunoglobulin, red cells etc. Various components or products derived from whole blood used to treat specific conditions.

http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40000201/

I quite fancy having a go at platelet donation, they hook you up to this funky machine which extracts some blood, removes the bits they need and then pumps rest back into you, how cool is that !

Though many of the products that are manufactured from blood plasma (Immunoglobulins, Albumin, clotting agents etc.) are made from plasma that comes from outside the UK.

In the case of the S.N.B.T.S. they get supplies from the USA and Germany. American and German plasma is used due to the theoretical risk of the transmission of variantCJD.

Therfore if you do donate blood and your blood is taken, it will not end up being turned into these blood products.

Though you should not let that dissuade you from donating Blood, since whole Blood is certainly one of the most important medicines found in any hospital. (that last bit sounds like an advert!)

Hatman.