BLOOD DONATIONS NEEDED/LOW SUPPLY :(

Bottle_of_Smoke · 09-01-2010 11:36pm

SV wrote: »

Me anyway
It's bloody annoying..Why can't they just..take my blood..and test it?

That would require you dying from CJD and taking samples of your brain to investigate:eek:

Unfortunately no blood test for it. Gotta cut out the high-riskers to be safe.

mang 87 regarding haemachromatosis, I think it has some effect on the oxygen levels in the blood, so maybe if it was used on someone in a certain condition there might be an adverse effect. I doubt its banned for no good reason.

Perhaps Australia with their larger population have systems in place whereby they can put iron-overload blood aside for people who aren't gonna react badly to it whereas here they just give it to the person who need any blood the most.

stevenmu · 09-01-2010 11:37pm

SV wrote: »

Me anyway
It's bloody annoying..Why can't they just..take my blood..and test it?

The only test for CJD involves removing your brain from your skull and cutting it up into tiny little pieces.

SV · 09-01-2010 11:44pm

Ah I see...so eh..
Alrighty then!

Capt'n Midnight · 09-01-2010 11:46pm

jumpguy wrote: »

They're extremely strict with blood donation, and rightfully so. But I think the 1980 CJD thing is abit too harsh. Surely if somebody had CJD, 99% of them would be showing symptoms by now? I'd love to know the % of donors they've refused.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/45851.php

As the CJD incubation period may be over 60 years, we could be decades away from an epidemic, say researchers from University College London and scientists from Australia and Papua New Guinea. The researchers studied former cannibals in New Guinea where a disease called 'Kuru' exists. Kuru has very similar symptoms to CJD, and like CJD, is caused by a prion.

As BSE-contaminated beef was consumed during the 1990s, the number of humans developing CJD may not be known until we are half way into the present century.

Kuru has an incubation period of 50 to 60 years, the researchers say that the incubation period for BSE, which can infect humans who then develop CJD, could be even longer.

Denisejcc · 09-01-2010 11:55pm

I was due to give blood on 23rd December but couldnt go as was on antibiotics for very bad chest infection and couldnt get out of bed! Had a couple of courses in the end but just wondering does anyone know how long you have to wait after courses of antibiotics before giving blood?

Thanks
D

rannerap · 09-01-2010 11:57pm

i only gave recently enough,not allowed to again til next month

Jay P · 10-01-2010 12:00am

I really want to give blood, and I've wanted to for the last six months, but it just kept slipping my mind.

I was going to do it this week, but I'm on antibiotics so I can't go for two weeks. God dam it! I've never been this keen on doing something selfless...

Snowdrop · 10-01-2010 12:13am

I just wanted to say thanks to all those who give and are going to give blood esp in this weather. Neither me nor my daughter would be here today without donations from good souls such as yourselves so many thanks.:)

Jay P · 10-01-2010 12:31am

Denisejcc wrote: »

I was due to give blood on 23rd December but couldnt go as was on antibiotics for very bad chest infection and couldnt get out of bed! Had a couple of courses in the end but just wondering does anyone know how long you have to wait after courses of antibiotics before giving blood?

Thanks
D

You must be fully recovered for at least 2 weeks before you can give blood. You must also have finished your course of antibiotics at least 1 week before giving blood.

Courtesy of giveblood.ie

Denisejcc · 10-01-2010 12:34am

Thanks for that info Jay P, will try next week so

D

Blush_01 · 10-01-2010 12:37am

sink wrote: »

Never donated blood before, does it take long?

The first time, depending on how busy it is, it could take a while.

My first blood donation, between paperwork and everything else, was about 2 hours (and my actual blood donation was pretty speedy).

Can't donate for another month or so. Sucks.

dreamer_ire · 10-01-2010 12:42am

I live in NI and I get emailed everytime they are coming to my local area. It's a great way of reminding me to go each time they are here. Maybe there is something similar in ROI?

jk86 · 10-01-2010 12:44am

dreamer_ire wrote: »

I live in NI and I get emailed everytime they are coming to my local area. It's a great way of reminding me to go each time they are here. Maybe there is something similar in ROI?

Yeah, you can subscribe to text messages letting you know when it's in your area

ElBarco · 10-01-2010 12:47am

Insulin dependant diabetic here - can't give blood. Just want to make sure any who are the same know. My dad regularly does though as a result of the care given by hospital staff when I was diagnosed

rsynnott · 10-01-2010 12:49am

sitstill wrote: »

They still won't take blood from gay men though. When I rang today I was basically told they'd rather run out then take my blood.

People who lived in the UK for more than six months in the 80s, too. We clearly have vCJD, you see.

MagicMarker · 10-01-2010 12:54am

Can't do it because I lived in the UK. Would if I could though.

Bonito · 10-01-2010 12:58am

TheZohan wrote: »

Wrong thread.

Folks this thread is about highlighting the need for fresh blood supplies.

Granted the IBTS cannot accept blood off some donors but that's an entirely different thread altogether.

Apologies Big Z

Rabies · 10-01-2010 2:23am

Always planned on, but never did. Was only in my area a couple of times a year but I never had the time.

Now I can't. Got a blood transfusion 13 months ago. So that takes me off the list.

happymondays · 10-01-2010 2:27am

Bonito wrote: »

Apologies Big Z

Just wondering is there any other benifet of donating blood apart from the feel good factor of helping someone out??

maybe be an urban legend but i remember hearing years ago that if your a regular blood donor and you have an accident and need blood then you get priority treatment??. prob a load of bolox.

if not why dont they introduce some sort of incentive to get new people signed up.

Morlar · 10-01-2010 2:40am

happymondays wrote: »

Just wondering is there any other benifet of donating blood apart from the feel good factor of helping someone out??

maybe be an urban legend but i remember hearing years ago that if your a regular blood donor and you have an accident and need blood then you get priority treatment??. prob a load of bolox.

if not why dont they introduce some sort of incentive to get new people signed up.

There are no incentives apart from biscuits and fizzy/hot drinks.

LizT · 10-01-2010 2:47am

happymondays wrote: »

Just wondering is there any other benifet of donating blood apart from the feel good factor of helping someone out??

maybe be an urban legend but i remember hearing years ago that if your a regular blood donor and you have an accident and need blood then you get priority treatment??. prob a load of bolox.

if not why dont they introduce some sort of incentive to get new people signed up.

Pretty much just the knowledge that you could have saved someone's life... That seems like a good enough reason to me though.

jk86 · 10-01-2010 2:50am

Next time I donate, I get a very dashing pin :cool:

Which I will not doubt, wear everywhere

3DataModem · 10-01-2010 2:55am

My blood has some special property that makes it suitable for newborn infants so when I give it they usually put it in these multiple smaller packs.

I think it applies to about 1 in 200 or so donors.

I got called in on Xmas 2008 to give it to done kid who needed it and had had my blood before but I couldn't give it as I was on antibiotics.

happymondays · 10-01-2010 3:05am

lizt wrote: »

Pretty much just the knowledge that you could have saved someone's life... That seems like a good enough reason to me though.

Yeah people like yourself will donate anyaway for that reason but i mean if they want to entice new donors to sign up. People that arent against the idea
but are just to lazy/dont like needles/dont see anything in it for them to go and get it done. If there was a reason then it might encourage a lot more people to do it. For example tax incentives or priority when getting blood etc...

never donated myself but may go next week

Enii · 10-01-2010 3:46am

Master of Nothing wrote: »

My local doc in the city centre doesnt do blood tests, i want one before i donate but dunno how to do it...vegetarian means i could have too low an iron count.

Would gladly donate otherwise...

Don't worry about your iron levels - they do a quick pin prick test before they let you give.

Piste · 10-01-2010 3:53am

Just a quick clarification: the rule isn't against gay men giving blood. It's against men who have had oral or anal sex with other men. So if you experimented with a few guys back in the 80s but decided that, no, you're not gay and are in fact perfectly straight, you still can't give blood. However if you're a man who spends his days swooning over George Michael but has never done anything sexual with another man, then donate away.

The IBTS questionnaire does not ask sexual preference, only sexual history.

entropi · 10-01-2010 4:49am

ballsymchugh wrote: »

they'll do an iron count before any donating is done. is there anything other than haematocrit that you think you should have tested? they'll do all the tests on the blood anyway. don't worry about it at all. plus you get a free car sticker!

Lovely! I dont drive:P Seriously though this is good news, as it happens i live a 15 min walk from the IBTS building near O'Connell Bridge:)

Cheers to you and enii!

Bottle_of_Smoke · 10-01-2010 6:28am

happymondays wrote: »

Yeah people like yourself will donate anyaway for that reason but i mean if they want to entice new donors to sign up. People that arent against the idea
but are just to lazy/dont like needles/dont see anything in it for them to go and get it done. If there was a reason then it might encourage a lot more people to do it. For example tax incentives or priority when getting blood etc...

never donated myself but may go next week

There's no incentive to prevent high risk people from lying about their prohibited activities to get the incentive. The multiple Hep C infections in the 80s/90s came from American blood where they pay people for it

No one would ever get priority blood as its nearly always an emergency thing. Next year Israel are bringing in that system for organs however

lorebringer · 10-01-2010 11:03am

I'm a rare blood type but have Ulcerative Colitis (classed as a "significant ongoing illness") so cannot give it. However, if there is a shortage of my blood type, I'll get a letter asking me a attend a clinic even thought I have been struck off the official blood register 3 times. Each time I have given it I have been on bits afterwards (lightheaded, had to lie down, temperature issues, felt like vomiting etc.) and a nurse explained to me that I am too high risk to give it regularly. There are obviously some exceptions they are willing to make if there is a shortage. My OH gives blood every time the clinic comes around to where we live, religiously, and has never had a problem (granted, they could take 2 units from him and he probably wouldn't notice - 6ft 4in, big build).

HereSince2003 · 10-01-2010 1:49pm

lizt wrote: »

Pretty much just the knowledge that you could have saved someone's life... That seems like a good enough reason to me though.

^^ That.

Plus it is one donation that can't really be used for much else bar its intended use. Maybe some testing or something like that.

Unlike giving money which to be honest you never know where it goes.

BLOOD DONATIONS NEEDED/LOW SUPPLY :(

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