Article

2007-04-03 Science & Technology

Technique to convert all blood to Type O so anybody can use it.

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Posted by 3dc 2007-04-03 13:08|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Nice. However, some of the blood shortage is created by the broadbrush exclusion of potential donors by the blood donation agencies. I've gone through interrogations every time I've donated and noted that people who served in Europe in the 80s and early 90s are largely disqualified, even though in conditions as in Iraq, the military uses its own for emergency transfusions. If you meet some bureaucratic CYAWP standard, they don't even test, they just exclude. It also leads the 'charities' to hounding the same donors over and over because they're unwilling to make an effort to get into other populations.

Posted by Procopius2k 2007-04-03 13:28|| 2007-04-03 13:28|| Front Page Top

#2 Wow--and not just to Type O, but to Type O- (the true universal donor blood type). That's great news for those O- people out there (roughly 7.7% of the population) who can so selflessly give their blood to anyone, but who can only receive O- when they need it.

Posted by Dar">Dar 2007-04-03 13:30|| 2007-04-03 13:30|| Front Page Top

#3 Dar - O- here... but I was doing biz in London during Mad Cow so nobody wants my O-.

Posted by 3dc 2007-04-03 14:21|| 2007-04-03 14:21|| Front Page Top

#4 How long is the wait for that, 3dc? I hope it's not permanent--the bloodbank will have to take you off speed-dial then!

Posted by Dar">Dar 2007-04-03 14:56|| 2007-04-03 14:56|| Front Page Top

#5 Yikes! My wife is gonna go for this, she's on the O_List of Doom.

Posted by Shipman">Shipman 2007-04-03 18:42|| 2007-04-03 18:42|| Front Page Top

#6 They do have some tolerably good artificial blood now, but are concerned about its effects in the internal organs. Its biggest advantage is that it oxygenates 50 times better than regular blood.

This opens up a great opportunity. If you can isolate a part of the body from the main circulatory system, you can pump oxygenated artificial blood "in one end and out the other", like a heart lung machine. And as long as it doesn't pass through the internal organs, it might save oxygen-starved tissues, say in the case of a crushed limb.

Another example would be where the major artery and vein split below the kidneys, to go to either leg. A bypass could be used to pump artificial blood through one or both legs, carrying drugs that would cause catastrophic collapse of phlebitis clots and arterial plaques. That is, big chunks of the stuff would be flushed out of their pipes.

But instead of endangering their life with a potential stroke or heart attack from the loose clumps, they would all go into the bypass circulatory system for the artificial blood. Then when their pipes were clear, they could be shifted back to their regular blood supply.

This would save years of risky procedures and drugs.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-04-03 19:07|| 2007-04-03 19:07|| Front Page Top

#7 interesting stuff, Moose, thx

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-04-03 19:43|| 2007-04-03 19:43|| Front Page Top

#8 Can't understand why they don't use this artifical blood in a hospital setting, especially in a cardiac emergency.

Posted by Shipman">Shipman 2007-04-03 21:42|| 2007-04-03 21:42|| Front Page Top

#9 I'm type O and have received over one hundred transfusions. The folks who donate blood are living angels here on Earth.

hugs ;-)

Posted by Red Dog">Red Dog 2007-04-03 22:19|| 2007-04-03 22:19|| Front Page Top

#10 Ima gallon club member at SD Blood Bank, yet since I started taking statins for BP - I can't donate (I'm back to normal BP)...I feel guilty...but understand, I guess...

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-04-03 22:23|| 2007-04-03 22:23|| Front Page Top

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