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Is HIV-screened blood safe? by Bonnie_Clyde on

WTWizardRe: Is HIV-screened blood safe?


I will make one thing totally clear:  No blood is 100% safe.  There is always going to be a risk of a mistake, or a new disease that they don't have the technology to screen for.  And there is a chance of type mismatches of various factors.  Taking a blood transfusion is not something I would want to mess with.  Unlike playing with a Ouija board or decorating for Christmas, using blood for frivolous situations is not wise.

However, there is a point where the benefits outweigh the risks.  If a child's life is at stake, that for sure outweighs the risks.  There is going to be a chance of getting AIDS because of a stupid mistake in screening.  But without the blood, the risk of dying or having serious adverse effects from not dying is far greater, if not 100%.  And there is the cost of the blood itself--frivolous blood transfusions will deprive people that really need blood.  Here is one area I highly recommend doing cost/benefit analysis on a case by case basis:  If the benefits outweigh the total costs, then the blood should be used anyways, even with the risk of getting AIDS or hepatitis X.

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Re: Re: Is HIV-screened blood safe? by glenster on