Blood Transfusion In The 1930's
Over the years, blood transfusions have saved and taken many lives. As doctor’s have become more knowledgeable about the circulatory system and the blood that runs through it, the use of blood transfusions have steadily decreased. As a result, transfusion alternatives have steadily decreased. For a long time now, blood transfusions have contributed to transmission of disease, a weakened immune system, and increased recovery time. Blood transfusions have proven to be very effective in saving people’s lives who suffer from life threatening injuries or illnesses. Doctors and patients are exploring alternative treatments that use either no blood or small fractions of the patient's own blood.
The first research on hemophilia started in 1803. Hemophilia is a condition where blood is not able to clot, causing the injured to bleed severely. There has been a ton of different ways to try and stop bleeding throughout the years. Diluting snake venom was used to clot blood in the 1930’s. The venom would be milked from a viper and then diluted. The venom reacts to a protein in human blood that clots immediately. In the 1900’s, the life expectancy for hemophiliacs was 13 years old because there was …show more content…
no way to stop the bleeding (History of Bleeding Disorders). In the 1960’s, the life expectancy was 20 years old for hemophiliacs because there wasn’t a sufficient way to clot blood (History of Bleeding Disorders). When blood testing began in the 1980’s it was very apparent that more research needed to be done about possible tainted blood and ways to prevent spreading of diseases through blood transfusions. Blood research became very serious when hepatitis was discovered during WWII. Tainted blood in transfusions became evident in WWII as well. The “clotting cascade” was thought of in 1964. This is the clotting process for hemorrhaging. In 1965 blood banks officially started storing blood products for emergencies. Preventative treatments started in 1995 for children. John Conrad Otto was the first person to research hemorrhaging. In 1940, the first whole blood was starting to be transfused at hospitals. Whole blood is what is taken for blood transfusions and can be broken down. Blood transfusions normally are for people who have low blood counts, or has lost a great amount of blood. No one has to pay for donating blood, it is strictly a voluntary act to help others. There are many precautions you have to take before donating blood. You must eat and drink a healthy amount of water before donating or receiving to have a good outcome. Before donating, you go through a process of questions for safety reasons. Your iron levels are tested, along with blood pressure and heart rate. Transfusions are used to increase the arterial oxygen content.
There are many different types of transfusions. People who need an allogeneic transfusion usually have very good outcomes. Allogeneic Transfusions are when blood is taken from someone of the same blood type that that blood receiver needs. Platelets are used for bleeding prevention, which is a longer process. Red Blood cells are used for hemophiliacs and patients who are anemic. Autologous Transfusions are the safest. This type of transfusion is where blood is transfused from the patient, they are then re-infused with their own blood. There are many different transfusions, for different things. It was confirmed in the 80’s that HIV and AIDS was being transmitted through blood. About 90% of hemophiliacs that had been receiving blood were confirmed to be HIV positive before 1981. Hemophilia is also called the “Royal Disease”. (History of Bleeding disorders). It is called this because multiple royal families in Germany, England, and Russia suffered from it due to inbreeding. 355 cases of HIV were discovered in 1982 just from blood transfusions alone (Hazards of Blood Transfusions in Historical Perspective). 9,261 blood receivers were infected with HIV in 1992 before AIDS screening began. In 1985 AIDS screening was used to test all donations. Blood banks and hospitals are still facing lawsuits from the 80’s for transfusing tainted blood.
Human error during a transfusion could cause mortality.
Fatal misidentification problems happen in one in every 600,000-800,000 blood transfusions (Blood Transfusion Medicine). Blood transfusions could potentially damage your lungs if you aren't healthy enough at the time you donate. Lung injury usually occurs when there are antibodies in the blood. Sometimes, your body fights the red cells from a transfusion. This happens because the blood wasn’t the best match. Allergic reactions and hives are the most common, serious reactions. Allergic reactions include chest and back pain, having trouble breathing, low blood pressure, and nausea. Depending on how long the blood is stored is how it affects the body. Blood transfusions can also cause iron build-ups if your iron level is too
low.
Donated blood is screened for a variety of things. Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, and HTLV are the main things blood is tested for. The biggest error is when the wrong blood is used. Errors only happen in 335 of every 5.5 million units. Today one in two million blood transfusions are tainted with Hepatitis C. One in 205,000 blood transfusions are tainted with Hepatitis B. One in two million blood transfusions are tainted with HIV(Mayo Clinic). Something that is currently being researched is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Whether or not Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is passed through transfusions, is still being researched. Receiving blood can be nerve wracking, but could potentially save a life. The blood receiver has a better chance of getting struck by lightning, than contracting HIV through a blood transfusion.
Blood transfusions have made great advances since the first research on Hemophilia began in 1803. They are 98% safer than they were 30 years ago. Even though blood transfusions are safer than they’ve ever been, infections can still be transmitted but it rarely happens. Blood transfusions aren’t as hazardous as they once were, however, they could still have dangerous effects. Screenings have minimized the risk of passing infectious diseases, but haven’t completely stopped the spread of them. This is something that is constantly being worked on. Blood banks screen the blood that is donated very carefully to check for infectious diseases. With today's technology and precautions, complications are rare.
The first research on hemophilia started in 1803. Hemophilia is a condition where blood is not able to clot, causing the injured to bleed severely. There has been a ton of different ways to try and stop bleeding throughout the years. Diluting snake venom was used to clot blood in the 1930’s. The venom would be milked from a viper and then diluted. The venom reacts to a protein in human blood that clots immediately. In the 1900’s, the life expectancy for hemophiliacs was 13 years old because there was …show more content…
no way to stop the bleeding (History of Bleeding Disorders). In the 1960’s, the life expectancy was 20 years old for hemophiliacs because there wasn’t a sufficient way to clot blood (History of Bleeding Disorders). When blood testing began in the 1980’s it was very apparent that more research needed to be done about possible tainted blood and ways to prevent spreading of diseases through blood transfusions. Blood research became very serious when hepatitis was discovered during WWII. Tainted blood in transfusions became evident in WWII as well. The “clotting cascade” was thought of in 1964. This is the clotting process for hemorrhaging. In 1965 blood banks officially started storing blood products for emergencies. Preventative treatments started in 1995 for children. John Conrad Otto was the first person to research hemorrhaging. In 1940, the first whole blood was starting to be transfused at hospitals. Whole blood is what is taken for blood transfusions and can be broken down. Blood transfusions normally are for people who have low blood counts, or has lost a great amount of blood. No one has to pay for donating blood, it is strictly a voluntary act to help others. There are many precautions you have to take before donating blood. You must eat and drink a healthy amount of water before donating or receiving to have a good outcome. Before donating, you go through a process of questions for safety reasons. Your iron levels are tested, along with blood pressure and heart rate. Transfusions are used to increase the arterial oxygen content.
There are many different types of transfusions. People who need an allogeneic transfusion usually have very good outcomes. Allogeneic Transfusions are when blood is taken from someone of the same blood type that that blood receiver needs. Platelets are used for bleeding prevention, which is a longer process. Red Blood cells are used for hemophiliacs and patients who are anemic. Autologous Transfusions are the safest. This type of transfusion is where blood is transfused from the patient, they are then re-infused with their own blood. There are many different transfusions, for different things. It was confirmed in the 80’s that HIV and AIDS was being transmitted through blood. About 90% of hemophiliacs that had been receiving blood were confirmed to be HIV positive before 1981. Hemophilia is also called the “Royal Disease”. (History of Bleeding disorders). It is called this because multiple royal families in Germany, England, and Russia suffered from it due to inbreeding. 355 cases of HIV were discovered in 1982 just from blood transfusions alone (Hazards of Blood Transfusions in Historical Perspective). 9,261 blood receivers were infected with HIV in 1992 before AIDS screening began. In 1985 AIDS screening was used to test all donations. Blood banks and hospitals are still facing lawsuits from the 80’s for transfusing tainted blood.
Human error during a transfusion could cause mortality.
Fatal misidentification problems happen in one in every 600,000-800,000 blood transfusions (Blood Transfusion Medicine). Blood transfusions could potentially damage your lungs if you aren't healthy enough at the time you donate. Lung injury usually occurs when there are antibodies in the blood. Sometimes, your body fights the red cells from a transfusion. This happens because the blood wasn’t the best match. Allergic reactions and hives are the most common, serious reactions. Allergic reactions include chest and back pain, having trouble breathing, low blood pressure, and nausea. Depending on how long the blood is stored is how it affects the body. Blood transfusions can also cause iron build-ups if your iron level is too
low.
Donated blood is screened for a variety of things. Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, and HTLV are the main things blood is tested for. The biggest error is when the wrong blood is used. Errors only happen in 335 of every 5.5 million units. Today one in two million blood transfusions are tainted with Hepatitis C. One in 205,000 blood transfusions are tainted with Hepatitis B. One in two million blood transfusions are tainted with HIV(Mayo Clinic). Something that is currently being researched is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Whether or not Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is passed through transfusions, is still being researched. Receiving blood can be nerve wracking, but could potentially save a life. The blood receiver has a better chance of getting struck by lightning, than contracting HIV through a blood transfusion.
Blood transfusions have made great advances since the first research on Hemophilia began in 1803. They are 98% safer than they were 30 years ago. Even though blood transfusions are safer than they’ve ever been, infections can still be transmitted but it rarely happens. Blood transfusions aren’t as hazardous as they once were, however, they could still have dangerous effects. Screenings have minimized the risk of passing infectious diseases, but haven’t completely stopped the spread of them. This is something that is constantly being worked on. Blood banks screen the blood that is donated very carefully to check for infectious diseases. With today's technology and precautions, complications are rare.