Posts by besty

The point is that there is disagreement amongst peer-reviewed published professionals, therefore amateur bloggers should know their place, and not be so dogmatic.

The disagremeent being on the substance of the professional local study, never mind amateur 3rd party extrapolations to a global scale.

Feel free to post a link to any of your peer-reviewed published articles in professional journals, so JWD can decide if your opinion is respected in the expert community - otherwise get back in your blogger* box.

*Still one step up on the hierarchy from discussion board prattler - gotta look on the bright side...

739

250,000 Jehovah's Witnesses have died refusing blood

by nicolaou in

80+ branch davidian cult members died in waco, texas.

250,000+ #jehovahswitnesses have died refusing blood.

stop this #cult!

besty

hi marvin - I assume you are unaware of the false balance fallacy.

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Balance_fallacy

739

250,000 Jehovah's Witnesses have died refusing blood

by nicolaou in

80+ branch davidian cult members died in waco, texas.

250,000+ #jehovahswitnesses have died refusing blood.

stop this #cult!

besty

Comparing Apples with Oranges

A. M. Beliaev, R. J. Marshall, et al. (2011). ‘Clinical benefits and cost-effectiveness of allogeneic red-blood-cell transfusion in severe symptomatic anaemia.’ Vox Sang.

J. P. Isbister

Sydney Medical School, Royal North Shore Hospital of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Dear Editor,

The article by Beliaev et al. has flaws in the interpretation of their data and should not go unchallenged. On the basis of the data presented, it is not possible to conclude that red cell transfusions were causally related to better clinical and economic outcomes in anaemic patients.

The Jehovah’s Witness (JW) ‘control’ and ‘intervention’ groups differ in age, ethnicity, diabetes, bronchiectasis ⁄tuberculosis and renal disease. The JW patients may alsohave received an otherwise suboptimal standard of carebecause they would not receive blood transfusions. Toconclude from this study that red cell transfusion in anaemicpatients reduces mortality, gastrointestinal bleeding,infection rates, cardiac arrhythmias, angina, ischaemicmyocardial injury, renal failure, neurological complications, delirium, depression and syncopal episodes challenges credibility, experience and currently availableevidence. The efficacy of transfusion may well be the case in critically bleeding, shocked and vascular diseased patients.

Indigenous populations have worse clinical outcomes than the general population, and the younger age of the JWs possibly reflects this fact. It is difficult accepting that the JW group can be regarded as ‘controls’ for anaemia, and the authors’ definition of severe anaemia is also problematic. Although there is evidence from the literature confirming that increasing anaemia correlates with poorer clinical outcomes, red cell transfusion does not necessarily correct the problem, unless the anaemia is critical and ⁄ or the patient is actively bleeding. The haemoglobin nadir of the transfusion group was 80 ± 13 g ⁄ l and received 3 Æ 3 ± 3 units of allogeneic red cell concentrates.

This would suggest that many of the patients in the intervention group were transfused when their haemoglobin levels were above the triggers for the study and over transfused. The current extensive reassessment of the indications for red cell transfusion, especially in anaemic haemodynamically stable patients, is challenging the long held dogma that transfusion can only be good for patients [1]. RCTs confirm the safety of restrictive transfusion policies [2], and the recent International Consensus Conference on Transfusion Outcomes concluded that there are limited indications for transfusion in haemodynamically stable anaemic patients and there is a high degree of uncertainty as to which patients may benefit from red cell transfusions [3]. There is also evidence relating to perioperative JW patients having similar or better clinical outcomes without blood transfusion [4]. Additionally, the large RCT in elderly high-risk patients undergoing hip arthroplasty found no benefit from transfusion in asymptomatic patients with Hb > 80 g ⁄ l [5].

Cost-effectiveness conclusions are invalid if efficacy of an intervention has not been established and there is no overall real activity–based costing. Realistically, the authors can only conclude that a heterogeneous population of anaemic patients who happen to be JWs are more costly to manage than a heterogeneous population of anaemic patients accepting transfusion, who happen not to be JWs.

References

1 Shander A, Javidroozi M, Ozawa S, et al. : What is really dangerous:

anaemia or transfusion? Br J Anaesth 2011; 107(Suppl 1):

i41–i59

2 Hebert PC, Wells G, Blajchman MA, et al. : A multicenter, randomized,

controlled clinical trial of transfusion requirements in

critical care. Transfusion Requirements in Critical Care Investigators,

Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. N Engl J Med 1999;

340(6):409–417

3 Shander A, Fink A, Javidroozi M, et al. : Appropriateness of

allogeneic red blood cell transfusion: the international consensus

conference on transfusion outcomes. Transfus Med

Rev 2011; 25(3):232–246

4 Reyes G, Nuche JM, Sarraj A, et al. : Bloodless Cardiac Surgery in

Jehovah’s Witnesses: Outcomes Compared With a Control Group.

Rev Esp Cardiol 2007; 60(7):727–731 e53

5 Carson JL, Terrin ML, Noveck H, et al. : Liberal or restrictive

transfusion in high-risk patients after hip surgery. N Engl J

Med 2011; 365(26):2453–2462

Received: 27 January 2012,

accepted 28 February 2012

78

A child that DIDN'T want to die ... a blood experience you won't read in Awake! or on JW.ORG

by wannabefree in

while doing work for a client in her office recently, we got into a light discussion about religion.

she knew i was one of jehovahs witnesses as our business relationship started while i was still a loyal and believing jw.

anyway, i said something that she knew didnt quite fit and she said ... i thought you were one of jehovahs witnesses ... i shared my story ... she felt comfortable to confide in me a story as to why, even though she has had dealings with jehovahs witnesses who she thinks are good people, she would never even consider listening to them about their religion.. i asked her if she would write it down for me so that i could share ... she agreed.. this is her experience.. .

besty

Based on things you’ve revealed during this discussion and a little checking around on my own, I’ve learned some very impressive things of your person and work.

I want to say a big “Thanks!!!” for all your hard work.

If there is any way I can ever be of help please don’t hesitate to contact me.

sometimes a PM is a good idea, unless thats not really the point...

6

JW Unofficial App

by admirmitch in

so i'm sure everyone here knows about the new jw library app.

i was looking around in google play at some different apps pertaining to the jws.

i found something a little different.

besty

I'm sure a side by side old and new NWT with zero commentary would be a winner - now that MeanMrMustard has done the legwork...

443

The 1914 generation is still going strong 100 years later - 2014 study article.

by THE GLADIATOR in

january 2014 watchtower study article.

let your kingdom comebut when?.

this generation will not pass away.

besty

"evidently" <-> "we understand that"

thats all the new light you need :-)

310

How I recently handled JWs at my door

by Christian guy in

the jws stopped by my house a couple weeks ago on a saturday morning.

i knew that with others most likely waiting for them out in the car they probably did not then have much time to engage in any serious conversation.

so i let them talk while i feigned interest in what they had to say.

besty

@christian guy - welcome to JWN - I hope you stick around and tell us more about your JW experience and why you left.

It's quite a common journey to go from JW -> BAC -> atheist - cofty and many others have done that, my wife included.

Please include the possibility that there is no god.

Good luck!

223

Comprehensive NWT Comparison Project (calling all technically skilled members)

by Apognophos in

is anyone aware if this project is already being done by someone?

if not, perhaps we can brainstorm how to go about this, now that the pdf for the revised nwt is out.

a couple initial impressions:.

besty

one way to filter for important verses might be to ascertain the frequency of citation in WT Lib over the last few years and then check those high value targets first

739

250,000 Jehovah's Witnesses have died refusing blood

by nicolaou in

80+ branch davidian cult members died in waco, texas.

250,000+ #jehovahswitnesses have died refusing blood.

stop this #cult!

besty

we need to wait on a high level defector