3 ms·

That’s why there is comprehensive screening of donated blood which has essentially eliminated pathogen transfer and it’s used en masse everyday.

by booi 7y ago

javagram 7y ago
Screening is not perfect. https://www.redcrossblood.org/faq.html#eligibility-medicaltreatments https://www.redcrossblood.org/faq.html#eligibility-medicaltr... “ You may not donate if you received a blood transfusion since 1980 in the United Kingdom or France (The United Kingdom consists of the following countries: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar or Falkland Islands). This requirement is related to concerns about variant CJD, or 'mad cow' disease.”
- zaroth 7y ago
  That’s because methylene blue doesn’t kill prions. https://www.medscape.com/answers/1389957-195354/what-is-the-role-of-methylene-blue-in-the-prevention-of-transfusion-transmitted-diseases#qna https://www.medscape.com/answers/1389957-195354/what-is-the-...
- martinpw 7y ago
  That is interesting. I have always been told it was stricter than that - basically this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1116429/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1116429/ The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has imposed a ban on blood donations from anyone who has spent more than six months in Britain from 1980 to 1997 because of the possible risk of transmitting the human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) Nothing about receiving a transfusion there, just having lived in the UK was enough to make you ineligible to donate. The American Red Cross restriction is weaker. Can anyone clarify?
  - javagram 7y ago
    Looking at the Red Cross page there is a separate travel section which says “ Persons who have spent long periods of time in countries where "mad cow disease" is found are not eligible to donate. This requirement is related to concerns about variant Creutzfeld Jacob Disease (vCJD). See - Eligibility Reference Material“ So i think there is a travel restriction and a transfusion restriction which are independent.
Retric 7y ago
As you say pathogen transfer and other complications like GvHD are rare, but that’s also in normal situations. In a pandemic things change. This example is using plasma from China which is very much outside of normal channels. Further, in a pandemic when staff are overworked and possibly sick, mistakes are going to increase. Viable in a life threading situation, less so: “for prevention of infection for people who are being exposed.”

That’s why there is comprehensive screening of donated blood which has essentially eliminated pathogen transfer and it’s used en masse everyday.

by booi 7y ago

That’s why there is comprehensive screening of donated blood which has essentially eliminated pathogen transfer and it’s used en masse everyday.

javagram 7y ago

Screening is not perfect. https://www.redcrossblood.org/faq.html#eligibility-medicaltreatments https://www.redcrossblood.org/faq.html#eligibility-medicaltr... “ You may not donate if you received a blood transfusion since 1980 in the United Kingdom or France (The United Kingdom consists of the following countries: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar or Falkland Islands). This requirement is related to concerns about variant CJD, or 'mad cow' disease.”

zaroth 7y ago
That’s because methylene blue doesn’t kill prions. https://www.medscape.com/answers/1389957-195354/what-is-the-role-of-methylene-blue-in-the-prevention-of-transfusion-transmitted-diseases#qna https://www.medscape.com/answers/1389957-195354/what-is-the-...
martinpw 7y ago
That is interesting. I have always been told it was stricter than that - basically this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1116429/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1116429/ The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has imposed a ban on blood donations from anyone who has spent more than six months in Britain from 1980 to 1997 because of the possible risk of transmitting the human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) Nothing about receiving a transfusion there, just having lived in the UK was enough to make you ineligible to donate. The American Red Cross restriction is weaker. Can anyone clarify?
- javagram 7y ago
  Looking at the Red Cross page there is a separate travel section which says “ Persons who have spent long periods of time in countries where "mad cow disease" is found are not eligible to donate. This requirement is related to concerns about variant Creutzfeld Jacob Disease (vCJD). See - Eligibility Reference Material“ So i think there is a travel restriction and a transfusion restriction which are independent.

Retric 7y ago

As you say pathogen transfer and other complications like GvHD are rare, but that’s also in normal situations. In a pandemic things change. This example is using plasma from China which is very much outside of normal channels. Further, in a pandemic when staff are overworked and possibly sick, mistakes are going to increase. Viable in a life threading situation, less so: “for prevention of infection for people who are being exposed.”