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Two-week-old blood no good for transfusions

newscientist.com — The common practice of storing blood for more than two weeks could be proving fatal for thousands of heart surgery patients, according to a major study.

Who dugg this? Made popular Mar 20, 2008

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  • inactive, on 03/20/2008, -1/+15What they just found out about this now?
  • inactive, on 03/20/2008, -2/+15and they say don't give blood? this is exactly why people need to give blood, to keep plenty of fresh stock in
  • Disillusion, on 03/20/2008, -0/+9It is still delicious and nutritious for vampires.
  • ccolec, on 03/20/2008, -1/+8When I first read the headline I thought it meant, "blood from a two-week old baby."
  • mciampa1214, on 03/20/2008, -0/+7Not naive at all, I think you're exactly right. If they offered cash for blood there would be crack heads and disease ridden hos lined up around the block to 'donate'. That's exactly why they don't pay for it. (except platelets, apparently they pay for that, but it takes like 4 hours)
  • PaxImperium, on 03/20/2008, -0/+5They pay regular donors with a history of "clean" blood for several types of specific blood product.
  • PaxImperium, on 03/20/2008, -1/+5Of course one could trust that cardiac surgeons at a major medical center COULD be looking out for the welfare of their patients but then your entire insulting and downright slanderous statement must be backed up by facts and evidence huh? Maybe I'm just naive.
  • chadian22, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4Has anybody heard of the Canadian Tainted Blood scandal. The Canadian Red Cross avoided procedures of screening and when they could have saved the remaining hemophiliacs with heat-treated blood products, they didn't. Up to 80% of Hemophiliacs got HIV. It's really sad. A few years later the CRC was dismantled and replaced with canadian blood services which has less of a role over the blood supply.
  • PaxImperium, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4No, the article said "Don't give blood" to patients unless it is really needed.

    We tended to treat numbers in the past...this could be an issue because it contradicts another major study that showed that heart patients with low blood levels had worse outcomes and recommeded blood transfusions. This is why this study is significant.
  • mciampa1214, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4Tell that to the guy getting the 15 day old blood

    "You won't definitely die... but chances are pretty good"
  • HellifIno, on 03/20/2008, -0/+3I'm thinking they were talking to the doctors performing the heart surgeries, not random people who read the article.
  • gnomemage7, on 03/20/2008, -1/+4The paper concludes there is a statistically significant increase in morbidity and mortality due to using older blood in patients undergoing major cardiac surgery than those patient who receive fresher blood. That is a long ways away from "Two week old blood no good".

    Inaccurate Headline
  • PaxImperium, on 03/20/2008, -0/+3Actually, we have known about some issues with older blood for some time. Older blood has a tendency of having worse issues such as abnormal electrolytes etc.

    This is not the first study but this is the first study that does show significant outcome differnce with mortality or morbidity.
  • rallythanks, on 03/20/2008, -3/+6Of course, in an environment where people receive no, or very little compensation for donating blood, while those, like certain national organizations, sell it for more than gold, who is going to be the first to discard slightly older blood where there's still money to be made?
  • Jemulov, on 03/20/2008, -0/+2Uh, I don't know what the hell you're reading but hospitals ALWAYS need blood donations. There is always a need for it. I do my part and donate every 8 weeks with the local blood drive where I live.

    Everyone who can donate should. Stop being a pussy about needles.
  • jameshighmore, on 03/20/2008, -1/+2You're lucky. In the UK, all we get is a coffee and some biscuits if we're lucky.

    I do it for the biscuits.
  • PaxImperium, on 03/20/2008, -2/+3Since blood donors DON'T get paid to donate(except in very specific circumstances), your statement is false.
  • inactive, on 03/20/2008, -1/+1why get diggdown for saying truth??
    blood is big big business and many profits but for patient who gets only risks
  • bjs3171, on 03/20/2008, -1/+1they really needed a "study" to figure this out? chirst.
  • creatunity, on 12/12/2008, -0/+0Two week old blood for a transfusion? eww..

    http://www.acaiberrymd.com
  • PueSi, on 03/20/2008, -3/+3I've never understood the fact that you get payed to donate blood in the US, isn't the whole donation thing just about doing a good deed?
  • Pixelante, on 03/20/2008, -0/+0No compensation? I get a rich, hearty breakfast for my blood. And I walk out with a satisfied grin knowing that some poor sod will get my blood screwing up his circulation for good.
  • natgem, on 03/20/2008, -0/+0I had no idea that blood went bad after 14 days. I always was under the impression that it could be stored for around 3 weeks or so.
  • lingum, on 03/23/2008, -0/+0I quit donating blood when they told me I couldn't drink scotch while they drained me.
  • Mastequila, on 03/20/2008, -0/+0I donated blood in January and got a coupon for a free pound of Dunkin Donuts Coffee. I have donated before and gotten t-shirts and hats and chances at raffles for sports tickets. Sure it is not why I give blood (young, healthy, they check my blood for nasty stuff for free, its a nice thing to do, etc) but there is usually something you could gain from it monetarily I guess.

    Note: Only ever given whole blood never platelets or plasma or whatever.
  • docbob84, on 03/21/2008, -0/+0Bad idea, the last thing you want after donating blood is caffeine. Of course, the entire reason most college students donate is because they can get drunk cheaper that night, but that's another story. But yeah, in response to the above, we don't get paid in the US to donate whole blood, just fractioned plasma, platelets, antibodies, and other very specific blood products that are time intensive to "extract".
  • Pixelante, on 03/20/2008, -1/+0Cappuccino, chocolate, cake and orange juice here.
  • inactive, on 03/20/2008, -3/+0crack head, hiv, hepatitis did not matter when clinton president then governor of arkansa and ship taint blood from prison inmates to canada in full knowledge
  • computergod, on 03/20/2008, -4/+1Umm "not as good" != "no good."

    Marked as inaccurate.

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