Surgeons urged to avoid transfusions

by bats in the belfry 3 Replies latest watchtower medical

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  bats in the belfry

  JW.ORG | News Witness Patients Often Do Better

  The Sydney Morning Herald Surgeons urged to avoid transfusions

  AUSTRALIA: “Hospital patients who are Jehovah’s Witnesses—who refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds—actually do better than other patients,” reports the October 2, 2012, issue of The Sydney Morning Herald. The report cites Clinical Professor James Isbister from the Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney. “Professor Isbister said Jehovah’s Witnesses were given better treatment by doctors trying to preserve their [the Witness patients’] blood. As a result they had better survival rates, and shorter hospital and intensive care stays than people who received blood transfusions during surgery,” reports the paper. Doctor Isbister’s views are by no means unique. Regarding Witness patients who have cardiac surgery, the July 2, 2012, issue of a journal produced by the American Medical Association says: “Witnesses had fewer acute complications and shorter length of stay than matched patients who received transfusions.”

  SURGEONS are being urged to cut their use of blood transfusions, with experts saying the life-saving but risky procedure is being used unnecessarily. Rates of blood transfusion use differ noticeably between surgeons, and research indicates some are not careful enough to ensure patients don't bleed unnecessarily during surgery. James Isbister, a professor from the University of Sydney's medical school, said some doctors were using blood transfusions too freely because they believed them to be benign. "If [blood transfusion] is not used appropriately it's got more possible complications than other therapies because you are basically doing a transplant," he said. "We have talked about alternatives to transplants for years but … a lot of alternatives shouldn't be alternatives - stopping a patient bleeding is not an 'alternative'." Hospital patients who are Jehovah's Witnesses - who refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds - actually do better than other patients. Professor Isbister said Jehovah's Witnesses were given better treatment by doctors trying to preserve their blood. As a result they had better survival rates, and shorter hospital and intensive care stays than people who received blood transfusions during surgery. Studies comparing surgeons have found some used transfusions in only 10 per cent of patients, while others used them in 80 per cent of cases. Blood transfusions put stress on the lungs and can cause lung injury and organ failure, as well as potentially having long-term consequences, although the reason is unknown. On Sunday, Professor Isbister addressed the scientific congress of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists about the issue. He said it was also important for patients to consult their GPs before surgery to ensure they had a healthy blood count. In 2012-13 governments will spend more than $1 billion on blood and blood-related products, according to the National Blood Authority. Its general manager, Leigh McJames, said while transfusions can be life-saving, evidence showed up to 20 per cent of them could be unnecessary in some patient groups. Correction: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article incorrectly said Christians were given better treatment by doctors.
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  NVR2L8

  Its general manager, Leigh McJames, said while transfusions can be life-saving, evidence showed up to 20 per cent of them could be unnecessary in some patient groups.

  up to 20% of some patient groups...Compared to all patient groups, what is the size of this patient group where up to 20% of transfusions are unnecessary? How about showing the percentage of unnecessary transfusion for ALL patient groups...? The only reason you would segment all patients into groups is because the % is much lower when you consider all patient groups... You can spin the statistics to support any arguments.
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  edmond dantes

  Imagine the high death rate of patients regardless of age who are not given a transfusion they don't transfuse for fun. There maybe a minority who get transfused needlessly but on balance blood transfusions saves lives. End of.
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  NVR2L8

  JWs like to say: how do you know the transfusion saved the person's life...he may have survived even if he didn't take blood...Then when someone dies after he refused blood, they say the opposite...how can we know for sure that blood would have saved him....