HOW CAN BLOOD SAVE YOUR LIFE?

BLOOD AND YOUR IMMUNITY

Early in the 20th century, scientists deepened man's understanding of the marvelous complexity of blood.  They learned that there are different blood types. Matching a donor's blood is critical in transfusions. If someone with type A blood receives type b, he may have a severe hemolytic reaction.  This can destroy many of his red cells and quickly kill him. While blood-typing and cross matching are now routine, errors do occur. Every year people die of hemolytic reactions.

The facts show that the issue of incompatibility goes far beyond the relatively few blood types that hospitals use to match. Why?  Well, in this article "Blood Transfusion: Uses, Abuses and Hazards," Dr. Douglas H. Posey, Jr., writes:  "Nearly 30 years ago Sampson described blood transfusion as a relatively dangerous procedure . . . [Since then] at least 400 additional red cell antigens have been identified and characterized. There is no doubt the number will continue to increase because the red cell membrane is enormously complex." -Journal of the National Medical Association, July 1989. 

Scientists are not studying the effect of transfused blood on the body's defense, or immune system. What might that mean for you or for a relative who needs surgery? 

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From the Watchtower magazine