They do not believe: • That blood transfusions are ever permitted.
WT BLOOD GUILT EXPOSED TO THE WORLD
by DannyHaszard 185 Replies latest watchtower medical
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DannyHaszard
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DannyHaszard
Bloodless medicine heeds Allegheny General patients' faith
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA - 4 hours ago
But the cardiac surgeon refused to operate because Shearer, a Jehovah's Witness, wouldn't accept a blood transfusion. "It's one of God's commands that we ... TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, May 22, 2007 Harland Shearer was dying. Seven years ago, the Westmoreland County man became weak and couldn't catch his breath. His wife, Vivian, drove him to a hospital in Greensburg, where they learned the artery supplying blood to his heart was blocked and he would need heart bypass surgery. But the cardiac surgeon refused to operate because Shearer, a Jehovah's Witness, wouldn't accept a blood transfusion. "It's one of God's commands that we abstain from (donors') blood," said Shearer, 72, of Slickville. "Your soul is your blood." Tonight at 10, PBS will air "Knocking," a one-hour documentary about Jehovah's Witnesses. Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh is promoting the documentary because it examines bloodless medicine, which the hospital practices through its Center for Bloodless Medicine -- the only such center in Western Pennsylvania. Shearer came to the North Side hospital in 2000 after his first cardiac surgeon refused to operate. Doctors at Allegheny General used techniques to minimize blood loss, and he was discharged five days later -- a standard hospital stay for such surgery. Four years ago, his wife had heart bypass surgery at Allegheny General. In 2005 she had a knee replaced, and last year she had elbow surgery. All were bloodless. Before their surgeries, Harland and Vivian Shearer, who have been married 45 years, signed forms saying they accepted responsibility for anything that might happen as a result of their refusal to accept blood -- including death. "If we happen to pass away, then we know Jehovah will resurrect us," said Vivian Shearer, 63. The attitude is controversial. Pennsylvania law allows doctors treating children of Jehovah's Witnesses to override their parents' beliefs and give a child a transfusion if medically necessary. Dr. Eric Kodish, a pediatric hematologist at Cleveland Clinic and chairman of the hospital's bioethics department, said if an informed patient refuses blood and the surgeon is comfortable with the decision, the hospital shouldn't have problems offering bloodless surgery. The issue is different when applied to children, he said. "It is ethically incumbent on pediatricians and pediatric surgeons to comply with the law and not assume that a 7-year-old or 5-year-old or 2-year-old is going to grow up to be a Jehovah's Witness -- they could decide to be a Buddhist or a Catholic or a Jew or nothing at all," he said. "To allow a child that could easily be saved with a blood transfusion to die because of the beliefs of their parents is problematic." Ken Mitchell, a Jehovah's Witness who lives in McKeesport, said most Witnesses understand the law. "We would just rather they go the full distance, the full range," said Mitchell. "In other words: exhaust every possibility. This is the spirituality of the child." Although Allegheny General has the region's only center dedicated to bloodless medicine, other hospitals will accommodate patients' requests to undergo surgery without blood transfusions. "Pittsburgh is way ahead of the curve," said Paul Jones, of Highland Park, chairman of the Hospital Liaison Committee of Pittsburgh, formed 20 years ago to help Jehovah's Witnesses find doctors to perform transfusion-free surgeries. "We've always been able to find cooperative doctors in Pittsburgh." The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is implementing a blood management program across its health system to minimize surgical blood loss and seeking accreditation in intraoperative blood salvage for its hospitals. UPMC St. Margaret is the only Western Pennsylvania hospital with such an accreditation. "My feeling is that bloodless surgery is good for everybody, regardless of whether or not they're a Jehovah's Witness," said Dr. Jonathan Waters, director of UPMC's perioperative blood management system and chief of anesthesia services at Magee-Womens Hospital. "Blood can be lifesaving -- there are a lot of adverse things that can happen without blood -- but if you don't need a transfusion, you're better off without it." A patient's immune system can weaken when he or she receives donated blood, because it goes into overdrive investigating the foreign blood, making it hard for that person to ward off infections, Waters said. There is a risk of contracting viruses and other diseases. Dr. Jan Seski, director of gynecologic oncology at Allegheny General, who helped start the hospital's bloodless medicine program in 1998, first encountered the need for transfusion-free surgery nearly 30 years ago, when removing a pelvic tumor from a 15-year-old Jehovah's Witness. "You need to understand the needs of Jehovah's Witnesses, understand their religious beliefs and the strength of their religious beliefs, and then approach the surgery as a challenge, not a complication," he said. "It is a challenge that can be overcome."
Transfusion-free surgery Surgeons build up a patient's blood levels and reduce the amount of blood lost, by: • Taking smaller samples of blood for laboratory tests before and after surgery • Giving patients drugs that boost red blood cell levels • Using hemodilution during surgery, a technique that uses a machine to dilute the patient's blood with water and minerals so that fewer red blood cells are lost during bleeding • Collecting, cleaning and returning blood lost during surgery to the patient, also known as intraoperative blood salvage, or cell-saving • Using a tourniquet to slow blood flow to the part of the body being operated on • Perfecting surgical techniques to reduce the amount of blood lost during surgery Source: Tribune-Review research
Allison M. Heinrichs can be reached at [email protected] or (412) 380-5607. -
DannyHaszard
http://www.dallasnews.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19815#19815 Danny started a thread at their Dallas morning news forum Join In A struggle of faith and blood
Dallas Morning News (subscription), TX - 12 minutes ago
But he too was in the Jehovah's Witnesses. Because blood is sacred in their faith, father and son would not agree to any transplant operation that involved ...
[email protected] reporterA struggle of faith and blood
TV: Medical drama sheds light on Jehovah's Witnesses12:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, May 22, 2007
By SAM HODGES / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected] In 2004, Seth Thomas was a suburban Dallas community college student with a passion for playing electric guitar. He also belonged to the Jehovah's Witnesses. And he had a life-threatening liver disease. Seth's father, Ralph Thomas, wanted to give him part of his liver. But he too was in the Jehovah's Witnesses. Because blood is sacred in their faith, father and son would not agree to any transplant operation that involved a transfusion. Their search for a hospital that would operate on their terms is a riveting part of the documentary Knocking, which airs at 11 tonight on KERA-TV (Channel 13), as part of the PBS series Independent Lens. Knocking, which won best documentary at the 2006 USA Film Festival, . -
DannyHaszard
Hospital blames higher death rate on JW patients refusing blood Transparency provides better look at health care
USA Today - 3 hours ago
We do almost all the Jehovah's Witnesses in the state, and they refuse transfusions. We're also a site for people with extraordinary obesity. ... Some of the best-known hospital report cards are produced by private research firms. HealthGrades in Golden, Colo ., uses government and other records to rate how patients fared after treatment — after adjusting for the severity of their illnesses, age and other factors. "We don't just report the best (hospitals). We know people want to stay away from the worst," says chief medical officer Samantha Collier. Solucient, based in Evanston, Ill ., analyzes hospitals' quality of care and how they perform financially, mainly for hospital administrators and board members. Since 1993, the company has been publishing a "scorecard" of the top 100 hospitals. "We're not measuring whether a particular nurse was nice to a particular patient. We measure whether this organization performs well across the board," says Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president of performance improvement. Grading hospitals is anything but easy, experts say, and sometimes the information can be challenging even for experts to interpret. For example, Florida's health information website, www.floridahealthstate .com, notes that Shands Hospital at the University of Florida has a higher bypass surgery death rate, 6.31%, than the state rate of 2.51%. "Florida's an unusual state," says Curt Tribble, Shands' chief of cardiovascular surgery. "We're one of four transplant centers in the state, the fifth-busiest heart and lung transplant center in the country. We do almost all the Jehovah's Witnesses in the state, and they refuse transfusions. We're also a site for people with extraordinary obesity. One guy we did last week weighed 500 pounds." Most hospital grading systems attempt to balance out these factors. But Tribble says that can be difficult. "The tricky part is that risk-adjustment systems don't perform well at the extremes of risk," he says. "We're a magnet for the sickest patients." -
DannyHaszard
Canada Premature Babies twins in the news again Quebec judge orders blood transfusions for Jehovah’s Witness twins
Montreal Gazette, Canada - 11 minutes ago
A Quebec judge has ordered a Quebec City hospital to give premature twins a blood transfusion despite the objections of their Jehovah's Witness parents. ...Thursday » May 24 » 2007 Quebec judge orders blood transfusions for twins of Jehovah’s Witness parents
Thursday, May 24, 2007Canadian Press
A Quebec judge has ordered a Quebec City hospital to give premature twins a blood transfusion despite the objections of their Jehovah's Witness parents. Quebec Superior Court Justice Jean Bouchard ruled Wednesday that the hospital should continue with the procedure after doctors treating the babies were able to demonstrate the severity of the situation. Dr. Sylvie Belanger and Dr. Genevieve Piuze told the court that blood transfusions were necessary to keep the twins alive and to avoid brain damage. A doctor who is a Jehovah's Witness testified on the parents behalf that alternatives to transfusion were available. The twins were born by caesarean birth last Thursday following a 25-week pregnancy. The parents say they are willing to co-operate with the decision. © The Gazette (Montreal) 2007--------------------------------- Watchtower commits to conventions till 2013 Jehovah’s Witness group could bring $10M to PB
Pine Bluff Commercial, AR - 21 minutes ago
... also indicated it may be difficult to find a parking space in downtown Pine Bluff when the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses meets at the ... The organization has also agreed to meet here in 2008 and 2009, he said, and tentatively agreed to hold their sessions here from 2010 through 2013. The number of sessions may swell to four annually, Purvis quoted congregation officials as saying. -
DannyHaszard
David B. Samadi, MD, Chief of Robotic Surgery and Minimally ...
Market Wire (press release) - 10 minutes ago
Medical procedures involving blood loss are specifically prohibited by religious faiths, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses. They believe that the Bible ...David B. Samadi, M.D., Chief of Robotic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Group, Successfully Performs Bloodless Prostate Cancer Surgery for Jehovah's Witness Patient
NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/25/2007 -- When going under a surgeon's knife, most of us would rather avoid substantial blood loss or having to have a blood transfusion during a procedure. Like general anesthesia, a blood transfusion adds potential risks and possible complications to an otherwise minimally invasive surgery. For some people, the prospect of substantial blood loss creates a profound personal or religious provocation. Medical procedures involving blood loss are specifically prohibited by religious faiths, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses. They believe that the Bible prohibits storage, consumption or transfusion of human blood, even in cases of medical emergency. Their faith's "blood doctrine" prohibits surgical procedures involving the transfusion of allogeneic whole blood. In instances where there are specific prohibitions, individual Jehovah's Witnesses often have to consult with their doctors then make a personal decision. That's precisely the situation that Reginald found himself in when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 55-years-old. Even if traditionally invasive open surgery had been an option, Reginald's relatively young age at 55 allowed for a less traumatic, nerve-sparing prostate cancer treatment called a da Vinci Robotic Prostatectomy. Taking advantage of the da Vinci robot's improved operative dexterity and superior magnification, a surgeon makes five keyhole incisions rather than the six-inch invasive incision required for open prostatectomy. Smaller incisions mean less nerve damage, less pain, a shorter hospital stay and faster catheter removal. Most importantly, in Reginald's case, the da Vinci Robotic Prostatectomy could be performed with less than 100CCs of blood loss, which is insignificant, and would not challenge his religious beliefs. Says Reginald, "My wife and I were convinced that prostate cancer surgery using the da Vinci Robot was my best option. I explored options like radiation, but the treatments seemed to be very invasive and could compromise my quality of life. That's when I learned about a doctor in New York, David B. Samadi, and the da vinci robotic laparoscopic prostatectomy, from my urologist. Following my telephone inquiry, Doctor Samadi contacted me immediately, set up a consultation and shortly thereafter, performed the prostate cancer treatment using the da Vinci system. My recovery is going great and my life is almost back to normal." Reginald further explains, "People can be terribly condescending when it comes to faith, especially when you care enough to apply it to your life in a practical way. Not Doctor Samadi, which makes an outstanding impression. He's all about fighting cancer, along with being attentive and showing respect for my faith. Dr. Samadi is a friend as well as my doctor. I'm very thankful we met." About David B. Samadi, M.D., and Roboticoncology.com David B. Samadi, M.D., is Chief of Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan, New York. He's a board-certified urologist, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of urologic diseases -- kidney cancer, bladder cancer, and of course prostate cancer. He is one of the very few urologic oncology surgeons worldwide trained in robotic, laparoscopic, and open surgery. Dr. Samadi can be contacted at telephone 212-241-8779, or visited online at: http://www.roboticoncology.com for additional information. Contact: David B. Samadi, M.D. 212-241-8779 http://www.roboticoncology.com
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hawkaw
A doctor who is a Jehovah's Witness testified on the parents behalf that alternatives to transfusion were available.
Anybody know who this doctor is? I want to report him.
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DannyHaszard
http://www.topix.net/forum/who/jehovahs-witnesses/TE7MVMQV2OQ3HUJFS this will go way on the web index and be seen Please join in no pre-registration needed can be anoyn Treating patients like Jehovah's Witnesses could save lives: expert
The Age, Australia - 23 minutes ago
SURGEONS could save lives by treating people as if they were Jehovah's Witnesses, a visiting US specialist told a conference yesterday. ... Another area in which Professor Spiess is prominent is that of synthetic blood, which is composed of teflon-like fluorocarbons that carry oxygen far better than our own blood.??? http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ie=UTF-8&q=jehovah%27s+witnesses+&btnG=Search+News Top rank on news wire as I type Treating patients like Jehovah's Witnesses could save lives: expert
The Age, Australia - 23 minutes ago
SURGEONS could save lives by treating people as if they were Jehovah's Witnesses, a visiting US specialist told a conference yesterday. ... SURGEONS could save lives by treating people as if they were Jehovah's Witnesses, a visiting US specialist told a conference yesterday. Addressing the the annual scientific meeting of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, cardiothoracic specialist Bruce Spiess said blood transfusions hurt more people than they helped. Jehovah's Witnesses refuse to accept blood transfusions, but Professor Spiess said a study in Sweden of 499 Witnesses showed their survival rates were higher than people who received transfusions. He described blood transfusions as "almost a religion", because physicians practised them without any solid evidence that they helped. "Blood transfusion has evolved as a medical therapy and it's never been tested like a major drug," he said. "A drug is tested for safety and efficacy, blood transfusion has never been tested for either one. "There's a number of people around the world who are coming to these same conclusions and it's becoming more obvious that the old risks of hepatitis and AIDS have been defeated by blood bankers, and now what we're dealing with are events that make patients worse." Transfusions increased the probability of post-operative complications, including pneumonia and wound infections. "I think we need to focus on every possible mechanism we can to keep your own blood," Professor Spiess said. "If you come to surgery, we should ethically treat every patient as if they were a Jehovah's Witness and say, my goal is to not to transfuse you and to use every other technique I possibly can, and then only as a very last result transfuse you." He emphasised that in cases of severe trauma, blood transfusions were necessary, but pointed out that the majority of transfusions were of comparatively small amounts of blood. Another area in which Professor Spiess is prominent is that of synthetic blood, which is composed of teflon-like fluorocarbons that carry oxygen far better than our own blood. "We've just completed a study with traumatic brain injury — you're talking motor vehicle accidents and guns and head trauma — and we've just had a dramatic breakthrough with head trauma using the fluorocarbons as a way to deliver oxygen to the traumatised brain." Professor Spiess is also researching the use of synthetic blood as a cure for decompression sickness, on behalf of the US Navy.Contacts
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nvrgnbk
Keep up the ass kickin' brother!
You do it like no other!
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DannyHaszard
"ONE in four blood transfusions may be unnecessary and risking patient lives, leading medics have been told."
Good point that is contained in this article.
Remember thousands of JW's have died in the last 50 years that were one of the 75% that DID need blood
