11–20 of 105 posts
Really interesting situation, and very frustrating that none of the rare blood donors costs can be paid for by hospitals. Seems like there should be some loop hole to get them compensated.
Really interesting situation, and very frustrating that none of the rare blood donors costs can be paid for by hospitals. Seems like there should be some loop hole to get them compensated.
My brain is shutting down and I can't parse this phrase. [1] "If you lack an antigen that 99 per cent of people in the world are positive for, then your blood is considered rare." [2] "If you lack one that 99.99 per cent of people are positive for, then you have very rare blood." Surely the author is saying the same thing here?
number 2 has an extra .99 percent, so I guess in point 2, only 0.01 percent of people will have it (whatever IT is), vs 1 percent of people having the thing in point 1.
Long day
thanks.
Really interesting situation, and very frustrating that none of the rare blood donors costs can be paid for by hospitals. Seems like there should be some loop hole to get them compensated.
i was half-expecting this to be about Dr. Kent Brantly (ebola survivor whose blood continues to be used for transfusions)
Somehow, talking about blood donations is one of the few things that helps my mood when I'm on a bad day. When I donate, I feel that maybe I do matter.
[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Harrison_%28blood_donor%2...
Anyone else find it odd that he can't donate spare blood for himself? It seems unfair.
Anyone else find it odd that he can't donate spare blood for himself? It seems unfair.
Anyone else find it odd that he can't donate spare blood for himself? It seems unfair.
> When he turned 18, Thomas was encouraged to donate blood for himself. There is now no frozen blood bank in Switzerland, so his blood is stored in the rare blood banks in Paris and Amsterdam.
And that his approval is required for doctors to draw into his "personal stash":
> Since his blood can be given to anyone with a negative Rh blood type, Thomas could save countless lives. But if he ever needs blood himself, he can receive only Rhnull blood. If he donates a unit for himself, he has to permit it to be used by anyone else who might need it.
The article strongly hints that donations for third parties are not stored in blood banks but donated directly (because fresh blood can be kept for much longer, frozen blood has to be used within 4 days of thawing)
Anyone else find it odd that he can't donate spare blood for himself? It seems unfair.
It's possibly slightly unfair that he's not allowed his own 'stash', but he can only donate a certain amount per year and it seems like it's in demand, and apparently it can only be stored for 42 days (according to a very quick Google search).
He is allowed his own stash.
> it can only be stored for 42 days
Fresh blood can be kept 42 days at 4C, blood can also be frozen and kept for decades (at -80C) or more (virtually indefinitely at -196C) but thawed blood must be used within 48h.