Blood Transfusions

[Dick]

Interesting article in the Oct 22 issue of IIME magazine you might want to read.

It states that 70% of the Nitric Oxide in donor blood is lost within hours of leaving the body and by the time of its expiration date, 42 days later, the gas is gone.

Nitric Oxide ( NO) is a gas that interacts with the hemoglobin of the red blood cells and regulates how much oxygen red blood cells carry. Depleted blood could be replenished by exposing it to nitric oxide in liquid form.

This NO reduction causes a greater risk of heart attacks

Red Cross ( they oversee 14 million units of stored blood) is awaiting the results of more studies.

Dick

[jga_socal]

Thanx, I read the article. I think the danger is related to the danger of getting too much transfused blood at once; for instance, after an auto accident. Us regular xfusers who get 1 to 2 units at a sitting should not have this prob. What think?

[gj]

Interesting question. I will definitely have to read the article.
My question would be if the blood being transfused is to replace volume then wouldn’t the body produce the oxygen necessary for the hemoglobin to work properly? Since the NO is being delpeted at a rate that it is gone by the date the blood expires, isn’t the NO there to in a sense “jump start” the system?

[jga_socal]

gj, If you search Google news you will get [ this page ] full of articles about this topic.

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