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Many people dont know their blood groups!

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  1. #31

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    By the way I agree that excluding everyone who lived in the UK or who visited for more than 6 months between 1980 - 1996 is daft. It cuts out so many potential donors which is especially relevant in places like NZ (where I used to live) with such a small donor pool.

    This is only my opinion though and I can't see it changing until a reliable bench test for vCJD is developed.


  2. #32

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    If you need blood urgently is the risk of CJD really an issue?


  3. #33

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    I never knew what my blood type was until I started donating blood at university. I'd like to be able to donate in HK but I can't because I'm from the UK.

    Does anyone know if there is a restriction in the UK on people who've lived in Asia? I never used be allowed to donate within 6 months of coming back from a holiday because they were bothered about malaria and other nasty stuff.


  4. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by Load Toad:
    If you need blood urgently is the risk of CJD really an issue?
    I'm glad they do have this rule (although I agree it's pointless) because I'm a coward. I believe everybody who can should give blood. I'd even go as far as requiring people to do it by law.

    Trouble is, I feint whenever I do it so really hate it. So bureaucracy and mindless paranoia removes my sense of guilt for not giving more often!

    Back to the original point though. I've never been told my blood type when giving blood or after various blood tests. Is it normal to be told?

  5. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stu79:

    Back to the original point though. I've never been told my blood type when giving blood or after various blood tests. Is it normal to be told?
    The blood group and rhesus factor is on the donor card- in HK anyway

    You never need to know your blood type and no doctor is ever going to ask you this or go on a tag you carry - blood is always matched against the donor before transfusion

  6. #36

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    Quote Originally Posted by Load Toad:
    If you need blood urgently is the risk of CJD really an issue?
    The risk is probably quite small, but it still seems unquantifiable- the estimates for vCJD in the UK are still all over the place as (last I read) there's still no accurate test and the incubation time seems to be in decades.

    vCJD is one of the freakier conditions out there, and unquantifiable risk scares the crap out of people. So I can understand why health authorities don't want to add additional fear into the health system.

    So you'd have to weigh up the rather unknown risks of vCJD vs the more quantifiable shortages of blood. One hears annecdotally that blood is sometimes in short supply, but maybe AndyinHK (the one person on this thread with an actual clue) can actually enlighten us on the seriousness of this and how it actually affects health care.
    Last edited by jgl; 29-01-2010 at 11:41 AM.

  7. #37

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stu79:
    I'm glad they do have this rule (although I agree it's pointless) because I'm a coward.
    Therein lies an even larger problem. The UK was the only country admitting to BSE in cattle, however there were reports of BSE elsewhere in the world which were sunsequently "covered up".

    So at least with blood given from those from the UK you have some idea of the "risks" involved. Blood from elsewhere you have no idea at all. Now does that make you feel safer?

  8. #38

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    Actually, if I wish I could really enlighted you as to the risks. Basically it is unknown.

    As far as I know there have been 3 confirmed cases and 1 probable case of vCJD being transmitted by red blood cell transfusion in the UK (identified after the donor contracted the disease).

    In the UK all red cells for transfusion have the white cells removed during processing. This is supposed to remove the greatest risk as vCJD is thought to be transmitted in the white cells. Plasma is sourced from outside the UK (the Health Service owns a plasma collection company in the US). There are aso other measures in place intended to minimise the risk.

    Given the huge numbers of people transfused in the UK and the low incidence of vCJD transmitted through transfusion I'd like to be able to say the risks are low. As someone pointed out though the incubation period of vCJD can be measured in years so I can't be 100%.

    Personally I think other blood services would be better of adopting UK the UK strategy rather than blanket banning everyone who has ever lived in the country for more than 6 months between 1990 - 1996. I think as I said before it limits the potential donor pool and I also think it spreads what I see as unneccessary fear and superstition.

    HPA - 4th case of variant CJD infection associated with blood transfusion

    The website here has more information:


  9. #39

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    I do know my blood type which is O+. This was because I used to race motocross and the racing license required yearly medical tests. I've had yearly tests for 26 years. In racing accidents, a known blood type can reduce the time cost in an emergency.
    No, I never needed blood in my race accidents, but I did break my leg 4 times and my ribs twice.
    Anyway, I didn't think it mattered much until a call came from a friend that had a brother in a car accident and needed blood urgently. He had the same blood type cos that was his brother. The hospital didn't have that blood in quantity. He needed Type O+, which I had. I called all my racing buddies cos I knew they would know as they also had to be tested to acquire race licenses. We found about 5 of them in 1 hour. We did call about a 100 people through the same race buddies who contacted other race buddies.
    That day, a life was saved.

    Last edited by ronnie yeoh; 30-01-2010 at 02:25 AM.
    mercury_element likes this.

  10. #40

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    Quote Originally Posted by ronnie yeoh:
    I do know my blood type which is O+. This was because I used to race motocross and the racing license required yearly medical tests. I've had yearly tests for 26 years. In racing accidents, a known blood type can reduce the time cost in an emergency.
    No, I never needed blood in my race accidents, but I did break my leg 4 times and my ribs twice.
    Anyway, I didn't think it mattered much until a call came from a friend that had a brother in a car accident and needed blood urgently. He had the same blood type cos that was his brother. The hospital didn't have that blood in quantity. He needed Type O+, which I had. I called all my racing buddies cos I knew they would know as they also had to be tested to acquire race licenses. We found about 5 of them in 1 hour. We did call about a 100 people through the same race buddies who contacted other race buddies.
    That day, a life was saved.
    Exactly my point, you can help a person in need if you know your blood group!