TRANSFUSION OF BLOOD

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21727, 9 March 1936, Page 12

TRANSFUSION OF BLOOD

♦ DONORS REQUIRED BV HOSPITAL

FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES

The Public Hospital is revising its list of blood donors, and is urgently requesting the services of any who are willing to undertake this work. The present lists have, to some extent become out of date, as many of those who formerly volunteered have now left Christchurch. For some years the hospital has had this list of those who are prepared to give blood to patients who require it. ■Blood transfusion is used considerably in cases of accidents and anaemia, and for patients who need strengthening before operations. The present system, which involves the classification of donors and recipients into four-types, has been in use for about 12 years. It is very necessary that transfusions should be given from persons with the same type of blood as the patient, or there may be serious results. There is, however, one type, which embraces those who are known as universal donors and can have their blood transfused to anybody; about 40 per cent, of the donors belong to this type. There are also universal recipients in the same ' proportion, who can receive blood of any type. There is another class including about 40 per cent, of the donors and recipients, and two further classes which together include about 20 per cent. Donors Tested Donors are always tested when they enrol to ascertain the type of their blood and whether they are free from disease. But to ’ make absolutely sure a further test is given immediately before transfusion. Most of the donors are men, but it is immaterial which sex gives blood to a patient if the type is right. The hospital Often secures the services of relatives for transfusion, but it by no means follows that a relative will necessarily have the same type of blood.

It is customary to obtain a pint of blood at a time from a donor, and not to call upon him again for at least a month, though a patient may sometimes need several transfusions within a short time.

Before the present system of classification blood transfusion was sometimes used. Sometimes the results were disastrous; the reason for the failures was not then understood, but an explanation is now afforded by the discovery of the different types of blood. Ip Christchurch and • some other places donors are paid a regular fee for their services. There is no society of blood donors in Christchurch, but such societies exist in other places. One of the essentials for a blood donor is that he should be immediately available if required, * .