Imagine this scenario; you are in a hospital room waiting patiently for your relative Jim, who was involved in a terrible accident and was rushed to the emergency room.
Jim had listed you as his health care agent, thereby leaving major decisions regarding his health to you, where he is unable to make them.
Out of nowhere, his doctor appears worried and looks at you as if Jim’s life were in your hands. Then you hear him say the words, ‘Jim won’t survive this without a blood transfusion’.
What he does not say is:
- A transfusion can pose a risk of contacting other infections.
Regardless of how thoroughly a blood sample is analyzed, it can never be 100% safe. Some infections, which can develop from the aftermath of a transfusion, remains in an undetectable state for a long time before they manifest as complications.
An example is HIV, which has a window period of 3 months.
- Not all patients tolerate transfused blood.
This can further be expatiated as:
Immunological reactions: In some patients, blood transfusions prevent the activation of natural immune responses. This makes the patient vulnerable to infections or viruses that were previously inactive.
The outcome of this could be death.
Human error: In a US study, at least 441 people died from wrong transfusion of blood type. This was caused because, during collection of the blood samples, the samples were incorrectly labeled and transfused to the wrong patient.
This risk has not been eliminated, as humans are primarily responsible for the collection and sorting of blood.
- There are alternatives to blood transfusions.
Some doctors simply refuse to practice alternative treatment to blood transfusion for the following reasons:
• Simply because they oppose change and refuse to explore other treatments.
• They are untrained on the modern methods of treating without blood.
• Others claim that the cost of alternative treatment to blood transfusion are too high, and that, not all patients can afford it.
However, after careful study of the effect of blood transfusion as a method of treatment, some reputable doctors have concluded that blood transfusion (from one human to another) , if reviewed using the same standard as for other medicines, should be banned because it poses a significant health risk.
When a situation occurs where a doctor says blood transfusion is necessary, remember that the risk from the effect of transfusion can be greater than the original condition diagnosed in the patient.
Never forget the rights of a patient to decide what type of treatment they will receive.
In situations like that of Jim, before an emergency occurs, clearly make your intentions on blood known to your health agent. 