You are
visiting a web site dedicated to the exchange of accurate information about your health as
controlled by your Blood. Nothing here is to be viewed as medical advice. Only a licensed
and caring physician can advise you on matters pertaining to your health..... no web site
and not BloodBook.com!
The Blood information presented
here is not a science fair project. Every word is carefully researched, and designed to
support, not to replace, the relationship between you and your physician or other
qualified health care professional. We present a carefully selected recommended reading
list, CLICK
HERE.
We hope that as you digest the
information presented on BloodBook.com, you become aware of the benefits of personal Blood testing, annually if possible,
and also that you consider autologous Blood
donation and storage alternatives. Beyond that, we seek to present, in an easy-to-use
format, useful and accurate facts about Blood, the Blood supply and closely related
subjects.
If you need to
know about Blood, BloodBook.com is here for you!
Continuing confidence in the
Blood supply is imperative. 'Facts' related to Blood safety issues seem to change
substantially every week. There is confusion, doubt and fear. Adding to that chaos, is a
perplexing message from the media. While every day we are assured over and over that the
Blood supply is "safer than it has ever been," on those same days we may see
such things as:
".....The public is
provided insufficient information on the risks of blood and blood products..... ; The FDA
has not effectively managed regulatory review of blood issues..... ; after the AIDS virus
emerged as a threat to the blood supply, FDA still has not developed an effective system
for communicating blood product recalls to pharmacists, doctors or patients.....; The size
of plasma pools for fractionated products can increase the risk of infectious disease
transmission."
- "Protecting
the Nation's Blood Supply From Infectious Agents: The Need For New Standards To Meet New
Threats." - Committee on Government Reform and Oversight - Approved and Adopted -
06/25/1996 [view full text HERE] "..... In fact, the real risk of contracting a
viral disease may be more like 1 in 5,000 - which is 1,000 times greater than the odds of
dying in an airplane crash. Put another way, if airlines were allowed to set an
'acceptable safety standard' equivalent to that of the blood supply, there would be at
least one fatal crash a month in the U.S."
- Business
Week - Scrubbing the Blood Supply 11/15/1999 [full text available HERE]
"..... In the past, a person with blood
type O negative blood was considered to be a universal donor. It meant his or her blood
could be given to anyone, regardless of blood type, without causing a transfusion
reaction. This is no longer a relevant concept because of a better understanding of the
complex issues of immune reactions related to incompatible donor blood cells."
- Mayo Clinic HealthOasis - Ask a Physician 08/09/2000 [view full text HERE]
"We are urging all veterans to be tested
for Hepatitis C. Eight percent to ten percent
of veterans tested positive for the disease in a survey of 26,000, making the potentially
deadly illness four to five times more prevalent among veterans than the rest of the
population."
- Veterans Health Administration -
Advisory Bulletin 04/05/1999 [view article HERE]
 |
And then we may
find this typical recall/withdrawal order
from the FDA. What should we believe? Who has our best interests at heart?
These articles and
reports and others like them, available for years, but not spoken of, are the reason for
BloodBook.com. We are alone!
Now for a little more about
Blood and a view of our frame of perspective.
Sloshing around inside each of
us is a couple of gallons of a precious fluid. We don't think much about it until there is
a problem, then we realize the real value of our Blood. There is no replacement for human
Blood, though researchers are hard at work around the world looking for a viable Blood substitute. Modern society depends on Blood,
donated by humans. It is just that simple.
Worldwide, 5 to 10% of the cases of HIV infection are transmitted through the transfusion of infected
Blood and tainted Blood products. Some of the other severe diseases that can be
transmitted include viral hepatitis C and B,
syphilis, malaria and Chagas' disease. Globally, each year unsafe transfusions cause an
estimated 8 to 16 million hepatitis B virus infections, 2.3 to 5 million hepatitis C
virus infections and 80,000 to 160,000 HIV infections.
|
Pharmacy shelves are stocked with do-it-yourself home tests for
Blood glucose, Blood cholesterol paternity tests and pregnancy
tests. OraSure Technologies Inc., makes and sells a 20-minute,
at-home test that screens for two HIV strains using a swab device
that tests saliva, awating the FDA. |
Although the
Blood 'industry' is ultimately responsible for the safety of the Blood supply, in every
major nation, the government, or a quasi government agency is responsible for regulating
this important big money 'industry.'
We strongly believe that the
Blood manufacturing industry must be made to conform to high standards and quality control
requirements comparable to those of pharmaceutical companies or other similar industries,
and must continue to be objectively regulated and monitored by government.
As we see it, there is still one
great blessing; the United States Federal Government is not directly in the Blood
business. It oversees and it regulates, but, as of this writing, it does not manage.
In all fairness, we are fully
aware that the FDA has a near impossible task. On one end, Congress and their constituents
are pushing and pulling and pointing fingers. On the other end of the problem, there is an
ever-increasing and ever more sophisticated demand for a perfect Blood supply. Further,
making matters worse, is the burden of testing
for often "unknown" diseases..... FAST!
In the United States, licensed
establishments collect, process and distribute Blood and Blood products. Engaged in
Interstate Commerce, they are therefore regulated by federal law. There are, however, many
Blood related enterprises not involved in 'Interstate Commerce' that are not licensed.
These donor centers, and related facilities, must register with, and like licensed
establishments, be inspected by, the United
States FDA (Food and Drug Administration). They are, by statute, subject to the same
standards as are the licensed establishments performing the same functions. There is often
a marked difference in licensed and unlicensed facilities. red alert
The Blood collection centers
that you drive past, with your windows up and your car doors locked, with those persons
'sleeping' on the sidewalk, are inspected and approved by the United States Food and Drug
Administration, an agency of the United States Government. Yes, each one is inspected and approved. They are collecting
Blood that my own family might use!
The use of Blood products is also not entirely risk free.
There is a risk of infection with serious Blood
borne diseases such as with transfusion. Advances in science and technology promise
much needed higher standards of safety in Blood collection. Hyper-accurate tests, that in
some cases act more quickly, will better protect the Blood supply.
For those who need a Blood
transfusion, the risk of transfusion problems
is far less than the risk of dying or becoming more seriously ill without that
transfusion.
BloodBook.com has hundreds of
articles and links on all of these subjects. We are working as fast as we can to post
these on this web site for every visitor to access. We invite you to become a member of BloodBook.com so that we can better keep
you up to date on this complex subject.
We receive a great deal of Blood
information (and gossip) each day. The BloodBook.com rule is: if it cannot be verified as
having originated from a reputable source, it will not be posted on BloodBook.com until it
has been legitimately cleared. We invite worthy contribution
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BloodBook.com. |
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