Are blood transfusions safe? There are a few flaws in the study below. What do you think? Here are my observations.
An interesting study was released from Australia. It looks at the potential long-term adverse effects resulting from blood transfusion. The study claims that moderate amounts of transfused blood in patients in patients undergoing cardiac surgery did not lead to long term problems or increased death rates.
1,841 patients who underwent low-risk coronary artery bypass surgery,
Dr. Weightman said,” Our results indicate that a moderate blood transfusion does not promote the spread of such cells.”
Did he mean that there was no spread of cardiac disease?
If you do not have cancer it could be safely assumed that the cancer you do not have will not spread. The studies on metastatic cancer or the spread of cancer cells are quite sound. Otherwise, why is chemo given after surgery even if all the cancer is removed?
When looking at the study, it seems as if anyone who would make the study look bad was excluded from the study.
What are your thoughts.
Be aware that I have a bias, having seen and known of numerous people who died, directly or indirectly as a result of blood transfusions. Also having been on the health care team treating over 600 patients with out blood and none of them died further adds to my bias.
What would you think of a doctor comes up to you as a nurse and says, “This 87 year old woman who did not get blood was discharged three days sooner than a 35 year old who did get a transfusion. There has to be something to this. I want to know more”
By the way, the doctor drastically reduced the amount of blood he gave. The nurses loved him, the patients got out of the hospital 1/ to three days sooner by his personal estimates.
if your interested in the safety of blood transfusions, please check out NoBlood.org
Good health to you.
PS. I am always intested in blood diseases. Click here for more blood disease related topics.