EVER DONATED BLOOD? Whether you’ve contributed to the 3,000 units donated each week or not, statistics show that one in four of us will need a blood transfusion during our lifetime.
Since last year, two previously ineligible groups are now able to give blood – those who have haemochromatosis and those who lived for a year or more in the UK from 1980-1996. This gives us a fresh opportunity to make sure hospital blood banks stay stocked for the patients, children and accident victims that urgently need them.
Yes, it’s vital that the blood which patients receive is safe and adheres to the eligibility criteria the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) has set. However it’s also important that we understand myth from fact when it comes to blood donation.
Here, Stephen Cousins, IBTS’ National Donor Services Manager, tackles some of the misconceptions around donating blood…
“Sometimes myths can be a misunderstanding of a rule that was in place previously, which may be the case with tattoos and piercings, especially among younger people” says Cousins. The truth is that if you got your tattoo or piercing in Ireland more than four months ago, you should be good to donate, and providing you meet other normal donation criteria.
A very significant recent change in blood donation eligibility rules means people who previously lived in the UK, and were as a result exposed to a risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), are now considered safe to donate in Ireland. In fact, there have been no reported cases of vCJD in anyone born after 1989.
“When the change was made in the first place, the ban applied worldwide,” explains Cousins. The problem was down to concerns of a long incubation period and no realistic testing process. “So it was feared that a donor could have no symptoms but still be passing the disease to patients.” A review of evidence worldwide was conducted by IBTS last year, and a decision was made to lift the UK ban.
Jaundice is a medical condition usually resulting in yellowing discolouration of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Previous rules specified that having jaundice at any age ruled potential donors out of giving blood, but the guidelines have since changed. You are now only deferred (not permitted to give blood) if you developed jaundice after your 13th birthday. If your jaundice was caused by gallstones or by problems with your gallbladder at any age, you are considered safe to donate, providing you meet other normal donation criteria.
Hereditary haemochromatosis (HH) is a genetic disorder in which the body absorbs too much iron from the diet. Unfortunately, we have the highest rate of it in the world – it’s estimated that 1 in 83 people in Ireland genetically have an iron overload, according to Cousins. It’s also thought that around 20,000 haemochromatosis sufferers are undiagnosed.
When you have the disorder, blood is taken at regular intervals to manage your iron levels and avoid serious complications – a process called a venesection. Often venesections would have been done in hospitals or at GP practices and discarded, but last year IBTS rolled out a programme across all of its clinics nationwide to take blood from donors with HH.
“These donors provided about 3% of the national blood support and we reckon we’ve had 1,000 new donors with HH”. Cousins notes that the average person donates 1.6 times in a year, but donors with HH will likely give blood more often. “Ultimately we hope that these patients-turned-donors will be the source of up to 10% of the supply of blood to Irish hospitals,” he adds.
“The whole thing about blood donation is we don’t need lots of people at one time”, says Cousins:
Instead we need just enough people – but all the time, every week. You’re only as good as last night’s clinics, and poor attendance can affect the national supply very quickly.
This means that during say, flu outbreaks, donations tend to decline. Cousins references the storms last year which meant clinics were shut down and supplies suddenly dropped from seven to four days’ worth. “What’s most important is that you try to keep up with regular donation when we are visiting your area,” he adds.
Unfortunately, keeping blood long-term is not something that you can do as a normal procedure or on a sustainable level, says Cousins. Currently blood only lasts 35 days and “even less, if it’s being used for babies, who usually receive blood no more than five days after collection.” The same goes for platelets. This crucial blood component can only be collected in dedicated clinics in Dublin and Cork, and stocks need to be used within five to seven days. If the national blood supply levels drop – it’s extremely serious:
If we have no blood, the hospitals stop working. Blood is the oil that keeps the system going – it’s crucial that we have that supply, because otherwise operations cannot go ahead.
If you’ve made the decision to give blood, it may feel frustrating that a minor inconvenience like a cold would get in the way of saving lives. But this minor cold, in a patient whose immune system is compromised, could be fatal.
“Many of the rules are there to protect the patient,” says Cousins, who explains that, on any given night, around 18% of potential donors are told they can’t donate. Speaking of illness, it’s always worth doing the IBTS eligibility quiz before you go to your next clinic.
“When you give blood, we will type your blood after it is received to our labs. We then send you a donor card that will include your blood type on it,” explains Cousins.
One blood type in particular is extremely valuable to hospitals – O negative, or the universal donor blood group – as it can be given to any patient, regardless of blood type. It’s also often used for babies. “It’s worth knowing whether you have this blood type, as we are always trying to widen the donor pool,” says Cousins.
Always been meaning to give blood but weren’t sure if you could? Giveblood.ie has changed several of its eligibility rules relating to haemochromatosis and UK deferral for those who lived there from 1980-1996. Find out if you’re eligible with this quiz or contact your local clinic to book a donation here.
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