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Dear Mantis,Vik, Stagnid, Smurfette,Leni28 and Cicci50 and all others
This was an opinion poll as to how often do you go to the clinic for blood transfusion?
Most of you have polled every 3/4 weeks 3 to 4 units or 2units/3 weeks.
A normal hb level is generally considered to be between 13-16gm/dl in men and 11-14gm/dl in women and children. In both men and women, hb levels between 8-11 gm/dl represent moderate anaemia, with severe anaemia at levels less than 8g/dl
If hb level is observed below 7gm/dl, there are every likelyhood that the following characteristics may be noted.
facial changes, poor growth and limited weight gain, bone fractures, tumour masses.
Where these criteria are observed, transfusion therapy should not be delayed.
Blood transfusion therapy should be made as safe as possible for the patient. The risk
of infectious agents such as viruses,bacteria or parasites being transmitted from a blood donor to a patient should be kept to an absolute minimum.
Patients with thal major lack red blood cells, therefore patients receiving blood transfusion therapy should ideally only receive red blood cells, which contain none of the other components of the whole blood - e.g. plalsma, white blood cells and platelets. If a patient receives whole blood, there is a risk that the bodys circulatory system will be overloaded, developing complications like heart failure and pulmonary oedema. The removal of white cells and platelets from whole blood also decreases the risk of unwanted effects such as fevers during and after the blood transfusion.
Packed red blood cells can be obtained through a process of spinning the blood(centrifuge) which removes about 70% plasma and the white blood cells found in the whole blood. Red blood cells separate from the rest, accumulating at the bottom. Anumber of solutions can be added to the red blood cells such as anticoagulants, which prevent the cell sticking together and nutrients or additives that can extend the life and preserve the quality of red blood cells.
Patients with thalassamia should receive transfusion of packed red cells preferably not more than seven daysold. Even wher nutrients have been added, patients should not be given packed red blood cells more than two weeks old, becuase there are as yet no reliable studies to confirm that red blood cells stored for longer are as beneficial in the treatment.
Where blood banks are not able to carry out plasma separation, or to wash or filter blood in the desired, whole blood connected from the donor should be stored in a refrigerator at four degree centigrade for 24-48 hours, allowing the red cells to collect at the bottom of the blood bag. However, this process is 1000 times less efficient than filteration.
Hb level should ideally be measured before and after every transfusion in order to assess the effectiveness of the treatment. If this is not possible,Hb levels should be measured as often as possible - once a week , once every 15 days.
Hope, these guidelines will help our thal world a lot. More when I hear from you
VAMAN JANI
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