Debunking Myths About Blood Transfusion

What Is Blood Transfusion?

A blood transfusion is a common medical treatment in which donated blood is received via a small tube inserted into a vein in the arm. This potentially life-saving operation can help replenish blood lost to trauma or surgery. A blood transfusion may also be helpful if a disease prevents the body from properly producing blood or certain components. Complications seldom arise after blood transfusions, and if they do, they are usually minor.

Why Is a Blood Transfusion Done?

Blood transfusions are given to patients for various conditions, including bleeding disorders, injuries, diseases, and surgery. Blood is made up of various components, such as:

• Red Blood Cells: Red blood cells help eliminate waste and transport oxygen.

• White Blood Cells: The body uses white cells to combat illnesses.

• Plasma: The liquid component of blood, known as plasma, aids in forming a healthy blood clot.

• Platelets: Red blood cells are the most often transfused blood type, and a transfusion gives a person the components or sections of blood one needs. Although whole blood transfusions are uncommon, people can still receive whole blood comprising all the components.

What Are the Myths Associated With Blood Transfusion?

• Myth 1: Giving Blood Is a Time-Consuming Process: Three simple procedures make up the entire process, which takes roughly an hour from start to finish: registration, a health check, and the actual blood donation. Once one has registered and provided information about the health and past travel experiences, a medical staff member will take the temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and hemoglobin levels. Following the contribution, which takes approximately eight to ten minutes, one can unwind with a drink and a snack for a short while before leaving.

• Myth 2: Giving Blood Will Cause Pain: People should not feel any more pain after the first needle stick. Recurring donors become so accustomed to the sensation that they hardly even detect the needle anymore.

• Myth 3: One Cannot Donate Blood if They Have a Tattoo: Most states allow people to donate blood immediately if they received the tattoo from a state-licensed establishment. If not, users must wait three months to donate.

• Myth 4: Since One Does Not Have a Rare Blood Type, They Will Not Need to Donate Blood: The global blood type is O-negative. When the blood type is unknown (like in the case of a trauma event), it is the most frequently used blood type for transfusions. It is almost always the first variety to run out during a shortage because it is used so frequently. However, in emergencies involving significant blood loss, many hospitals will also transfuse O-positive blood if necessary. This is because there is a much-reduced chance of a reaction when blood loss is continuous. 38 percent of people have O-positive blood, while just seven percent have O-negative blood. Whatever the blood type, it is important and necessary. In Western countries, a blood transfusion is required every two seconds. Every blood type is essential to saving lives.

• Myth 5: Misconception About the Age Limit: The oldest blood donor is not prohibited from giving blood. As long as one is otherwise qualified, anyone can begin at age 17 (16 in some areas with parental agreement). After that, one can continue to donate for the rest of their life.

• Myth 6: Those on Medication Cannot Donate Blood: Taking medicine will not prevent people from donating blood. Donations are typically accepted if the illness is under control and one is in good health, but the reason anyone was prescribed the drug may disqualify them. However, a few medications could require a waiting period following the previous dose before making donations.

• Myth 7: It Is Extremely Risky for One to Donate Blood Due to Having High Blood Pressure: When one donates, one is eligible to give blood as long as one's blood pressure is 100 or below diastolic (the bottom number) and 180 or below systolic (the top number). A healthcare staff member will take blood pressure when one visits to complete the brief health evaluation that takes place before donations. Being on medicine for hypertension does not rule people out, either.

• Myth 8: Those Who Have Had Cancer Can Not Donate Blood: Some cancer survivors may be eligible to donate, albeit this depends on the kind of disease and the patient's health. A person might be eligible to donate if the treatment has been completed for more than a year and they have not experienced any recurrence of the malignancy during the previous 12 months. Unfortunately, people are not eligible to donate blood or blood products if they have ever had a blood cancer, such as leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma.

• Myth 9: Gays Can Not Donate Blood: Blood adopted the most recent FDA guidelines, extending donor eligibility to certain members of the LGBTQ community. Following this change, donor eligibility will no longer be based on a donor's gender or the gender of their sexual partner. The revised guidelines state that donors must wait three months from the date of their most recent anal sex before donating if they report having had anal sex with a new partner or with several partners in the previous three months. If one meets all other eligibility requirements and has had anal sex with the same person for at least three months, a person will be eligible to donate. Donors will not be questioned about anal sex if they have been in a committed sexual relationship for three months or more.

• Myth 10: AB Blood Types Are Not Needed: It is important and necessary, regardless of the blood type. Although the community requires a daily blood type change, this breakdown is useful. Generally, whole blood donors who are O-positive or O-negative are sought out. (O-positive blood can be given to anyone with a positive blood type; O-negative is the universal donor type.) Blood types A+, B+, AB+, and AB- can make excellent platelet donors.

• Myth 11: One on Whom Blood Transfusion Has Occurred: There is nothing to worry about, as one could be eligible to contribute if the treatment ended more than three months ago.

• Myth 12: Donating Blood Can Deplete the Blood Supply: The human body can rapidly rebuild blood cells; giving blood will not diminish the blood supply. On average, ten to twelve pints of blood make up an adult's body. There is just one pint collected for each blood donation. In as little as a day, the plasma levels can stabilize. One can donate whole blood every 56 days and platelets every seven days because platelets are refilled in five to seven days, while red blood cells take four to six weeks to regenerate.

• Myth 13: Vegans or Vegetarians Are Not Permitted to Donate Blood: People who do not consume meat are even eligible to donate blood. All they have to do is monitor their blood iron levels after donating since it can be more difficult for them to make up for the iron they lost when donating whole blood or double red cells. Regular vegetable donors may take an iron supplement after speaking with their doctor.

What Are the Myths Associated With Blood Transfusion Transmission Infection?

• Transfusion-Associated Infections Are Frequent: There is much worry surrounding receiving a contaminated donation, but the likelihood is quite low.

• The Moment a Contaminated Unit Is Transfused, Infection Occurs Every Time: Transfusion of a blood unit containing pathogens increases the risk of infection transmission, but it is not a given. Numerous factors connected to the recipient, donor, transfusion, and pathogen can affect the establishment of an infection in the recipient. These include things like the pathogen load and genotype—that is, the mutations that determine how pathogenic the pathogen is, for example. Recipient-related factors include the recipient's immune system and the volume of blood received, whereas donor-related factors can include the infection's stage or the emergence of antibodies. Which blood components are transfused also matters. This also applies to highly worrying diseases, such as HIV.

• Former Residents From Western Countries Are Not Allowed to Donate Blood: This resulted from the fatal variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease outbreak that occurred in these areas during those years, which is also referred to as "mad cow disease." It had been determined that the transfusion transmission was highly probable.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reevaluated the situation in May 2022. It determined that the deferral might be withdrawn because transfusion-transmitted infection has never been proven and currently looks extremely unlikely. This implies that blood donors who had previously declined are now qualified to donate. Nonetheless, decisions are left to national deliberation, and the suggestions are not legally enforceable. The Finnish Red Cross still needs to remove the permanent deferral tactics.

Conclusion

Giving blood is a gift that can save lives. The American Red Cross estimates that someone in this country requires blood every two seconds. Although blood donation can indeed save multiple lives, there are a few common misconceptions about it that may be causing concern. These frequent misunderstandings about donating blood have been debunked to help calm the concerns and motivate donors to give this year. Donors are always in need. Because blood has a limited shelf life, it might be difficult to have enough on hand.