Essay On Allogenic Blood Transfusion

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1. BLOOD
Blood is the red fluid that circulates in our blood vessels, i.e. veins and arteries. The main function of blood is to act as the body’s transport system, but it also has a major role in the body’s defense against infection. There is no substitute for blood. It cannot be made or manufactured. Donors are the only source of blood for patients who need it.
Approximately half the volume of blood consists of cells, which include red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The remaining part is fluid called plasma. Plasma is the liquid portion of the blood that transports water and nutrients to the body’s tissues. Red cells, white cells and platelets are made in the marrow of bones, especially the vertebrae, ribs, hips, skull and sternum. These essential blood cells fight infection, carry oxygen and help control bleeding.

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Allogenic Blood Transfusion
In allogenic blood transfusion blood from unrelated/anonymous donors is transfused to the recipient.
All donor blood is tested for safety making its risks very small, but no screening program is perfect and risks, such as contraction of the hepatitis virus or other infectious disease still exist.

1.2.2.1. Categories of Allogenic Blood Transfusion
There are two categories of allogenic blood transfusion.
i. Volunteer blood: blood collected from the community blood supply (blood banks). This has the advantage of being readily available, and can be life-saving when your own blood is not available. The disadvantage is that there is a risk of disease transmission, such as hepatitis, and allergic reactions.

ii. Designated donor blood: blood is collected from the donors you select. You can select people with your own blood type who you feel are safe donors. Like volunteer blood, there is still a risk of disease transmission, such as hepatitis and AIDS, and allergic reactions. This process usually requires several days for advanced donation. It may not necessarily be safer than volunteer donor

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