Blood donation

Successful Outcomes
Describe why people might need a blood transfusion Explain how blood is donate and transfused Explain the blood grouping system and why it is important to get the correct donor blood Describe how blood clots

History of blood transfusions

1818, Dr James Blundell performed the first successful blood transfusion into a patients who was haemorrhaging (bleeding severely).

Haemophilia patients treated with a blood transfusion

1840, first haemophiliac treated successfully with a blood transfusion. (haemophilia is an inherited disease where blood does not clot so if a person is cut, they could bleed to death)

Further history
1901, human blood groups were discovered and so transfusions became safer. Around 1911, anticoagulant was added to refrigerated blood so it kept for longer. World War II- blood banks set up 1950- blood stored in plastic bags instead of glass bottles.

Blood donation
People can give blood 3 times a year. Blood is warmed before it is transfused into a patient.

What are blood groups

Each blood group has red blood cells with certain proteins on their surface called agglutinins (a type of antigen), and these are different shapes. The plasma of the blood of each blood group has antibodies against agglutinins, but it will not have antibodies against its own agglutinins. If you receive blood which is the wrong group, your antibodies will react with the donated red blood cells and cause them to clump together.

Blood groups and their agglutinins and antibodies

Blood group Agglutinins (antigens) on the surface of the red blood cells Type A Type B Type A and B none Antibodies in plasma

A B AB O

Anti B Anti A none Anti A and anti B

Who can donate to who?

People with blood group O can donate to anyone as their red blood cells so not have antigens that recipient plasma antibodies could react to. People with AB blood can receive any type as they do not have antibodies to react with the antigens People with group A blood cannot receive blood group B and vice versa as it would coagulate.

What does it mean if I am blood group O positive?

You are also classified according to whether your blood has a D protein. If it does you are rhesus positive and if not rhesus negative. If you are rhesus negative you cannot receive blood from a rhesus positive person as your blood would make antibodies against the D protein.

anticoagulants
Our blood will naturally clot in case we cut ourselves. In fact, we need vitamin K to help our blood to clot (easy to remember K for Klotting). Bacteria in our gut make this vitamin but we can get it in foods such as green vegetables and cranberries. Chemicals called anticoagulants must be added to blood kept in a bag to stop clotting.

People who might need to take anticoagulants

People who have narrowed arteries due to fatty deposits. Smokers and alcohol drinkers have an increased risk of blood clots forming. Drugs such as aspirin, warfarin, and heparin reduce blood clotting and are give to people who have heart disease or have suffered a stroke.

questions
Who might need a blood transfusion? What is added to bags of donated blood to stop the blood clotting? Why cant people with blood group A receive donor blood from a person with group B blood? Why are people with blood group O called universal donors? Why are people with blood group AB described as universal recipients?