MORE SCARY NEWS ABOUT DONATED BLOOD!

MORE SCARY NEWS ABOUT DONATED BLOOD!

MORE SCARY NEWS ABOUT DONATED BLOOD! 150 150 Dan Frith

The chances of getting HIV or hepatitis C from donated blood have been all but eliminated thanks to sophisticated screening. However, there are still plenty of risks. Scientists recently discovered that certain antibodies in the blood of women who have ever been pregnant can cause a reaction known as transfusion-related acute lung injury or TRALI. This reaction is believed to cause at least 50 – 100 deaths per year in the U.S. Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a blood screening test for Chagas disease, a potentially fatal blood-borne illness linked to a parasite that affects as many as 11 million people in Latin America.

What do we learn from these developments? If you are healthy, continue to donate blood at your local Red Cross. If you are planning elective surgery, donate your own blood (autologous) for use, if needed, during or after surgery. There is no blood like your blood!

Read what the FDA has to say about donated blood here.

Read about the American Red Cross’ policy here.

Read suggestions from the nonprofit group AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks) here.

Share
About the author

Dan Frith

Dan Frith has over 25 years of experience representing individuals and families in cases of medical malpractice throughout Virginia. He has been named "Best Medical Malpractice Attorney" by Roanoker Magazine and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. To speak with Dan, contact him by email at dfrith@frithlawfirm.com.

Back to top