Red Cross Announces Critical Need for Type O Negative Blood

The American Red Cross is urging eligible people to donate blood this summer, especially those with Type O negative, as the supply in the United States has dropped to critically low levels. Type O negative blood is always in high demand because it can be transfused to patients with any blood type, particularly in emergency situations when doctors do not have enough time to cross-match a patient’s blood.
There are four major blood groups that include eight different common blood types which are determined by the presence or absence of certain antigens – substances that can trigger an immune response if they are foreign to the body. Group A has only the A antigen on the red blood cell, for example, and Group B only has the B antigen. Those with Group AB blood has both A and B antigens on red cells. Group O blood has neither of these antigens, so they are safe to administer to a person of any type and the patient will not reject the transfusion.
In addition to A and B antigens, there is a third called the Rh factor, which can either be present (+) or negative (-). In general, Rh-negative blood is given to Rh-negative patients, but either Rh-positive or Rh-negative blood can be given to Rh-positive blood. O positive is the most common blood type. Only 7% of people in the US have type O negative blood.
Blood shortages are not unusual in the summer, because there are fewer donors giving due to summer vacations and fewer community hosted blood drives. But the need for blood doesn’t go away. More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day because every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood.
Donating blood is a safe and simple process. Blood donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), meet weight and height requirements, and be in good health. At the time of donation, each blood donor is given a “mini-physical” to check temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and hemoglobin to ensure it is safe for the donor to give blood. The entire blood donation process typically takes about an hour and 15 minutes.

Those Working In Flooded Areas Should Update Tetanus Shots

As heavy rain is causing flooding in northeastern, eastern and other portions of Missouri, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) today urged Missourians who will be working in or near the flood waters to make sure their immunizations are up-to-date, especially for tetanus. We want residents or volunteers who will be working around flood waters to make sure they are protected from tetanus infection, said Jane Drummond, DHSS director. Anyone planning to help with the flood response should ask their health care provider to review their medical records and to request a tetanus booster shot if it has been more than 10 years since the last booster.
Tetanus shots may also be obtained from local public health agencies, clinics, and hospitals, but people should call first to confirm availability.
"In addition to checking on their tetanus boosters, people should take extra health and safety precautions when working in or around flood waters," Drummond added. These include:
* Wearing rubber gloves for extra protection against contamination.
* Wearing a mask if you have any allergies or chronic lung conditions.
* Washing your hands and exposed skin frequently.
* Disinfecting or discarding any clothing or supplies used in floodwaters immediately after use.
* Washing contaminated clothes separately from other garments.
* Disinfecting everything floodwater or sewage has touched.

The Emotional and Physical Consequences of Sperm Donor Children

The latest Hollywood debate: Should a woman become a single mother via artificial insemination. Some children of mothers who became pregnant using anonymous sperm donors are saying that they have unresolved emotional issues related to being “donor offspring”. And for some, another health issue is important – understanding their genetic history and risk for contracting certain conditions as an adult.
In Jennifer Aniston’s latest movie The Switch, she portrays a woman who becomes pregnant using a sperm donor. She has told reporters that she approves of the science that has given women the ability to have children without having to “settle with a man just to have that child.” Bill O’Reilly has criticized Ms. Aniston’s statement saying that her comments are “destructive to our society” and accusing her of “diminishing the role of the dad.”
MSNBC today reports the story of two women, Katrina Clark and Lindsay Greenawalt, who have searched (or still searching) for their biological fathers. These women want to transform the dynamics of sperm donation so that if children later wish to learn more about their family history, they can. They seek a ban on anonymous sperm donations as they do in Britain and other European countries.
According to the report, an increasing number of US sperm banks now offer identity-release policies in which donors agree to let offspring contact the donor when they turn 18. But many donors still opt for anonymity.
In a recent study of 485 donor offspring, conducted by the Commission on Parenthood’s Future, titled “My Daddy’s Name is Donor,” children conceived by sperm donation were more troubled and depression-prone than other young adults. Ms. Greenawalt may be among those, saying that she has learned that although the man she seeks is aware of her, he appears to not want to be contacted.
She states in her blog: "If I had to choose between being conceived with half of my identity and half of my kinship deliberately denied from me for eternity — or never being born — I'd choose never being born. We were created to carry a loss. A loss that no human being should have to endure."
Even those who reach their biological fathers often remain unfulfilled, says Dr. Jamie Grifo, a past president of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies. Ms. Clark has said that although she has been successful in contacting her sperm-donor father, communication has been sparse.
Another issue many donor offspring must contend with is not knowing critical family medical history. The medical screening process today is stricter than it used to be, however, each sperm bank has its own requirements and procedures for sperm donors. In general, a sperm donor must be between the ages of 18 and 44, were not themselves adopted and must be free of significant illnesses. They must also not have a family history of genetic disease.
Often, the donor will fill out a thorough questionnaire about personal and family medical history and will undergo a full physical with blood testing. Donors will also be screened for current infectious disease, sexually transmitted disease and the most common genetic problems sing a process approved by the FDA, the ASRM, the CDC and the American Association of Tissue Banks. While this procedure is thorough based on what we currently know, medical research learns new information about health and genetics every day.
Some sperm banks do have a procedure for this. In Greenawalt’s case, for example, she requested a medical update, which her donor father has complied with.
Ms. Clark, although an activist to stop anonymous sperm donation, accepts that artificial insemination can be a blessing for some parents. However, she hopes more will be done to assist the donor offspring with emotional and medical needs. She also encourages families to tell their children the truth early about their conception. “The most damaging thing I’ve seen is when parents wait to tell,” she said.

Fewer Heart Disease Deaths In Massachusetts As Smoking Declines

If more states introduce tobacco control programs for their residents who are regular smokers, the number of U.S. deaths due to coronary heart disease might drop, finds a new study that looks at an ongoing Massachusetts initiative.
A connection exists between coronary heart disease and cigarette smoking, and the new study determines how a reduction in smoking affected the number of related deaths in Massachusetts between 1993 and 2003. The state introduced its Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program (MTCP) in 1992, which received funding through a special cigarette tax, and the researchers say they expected to find it helped control the rate of smoking.
“California was the first state to have a statewide program like the MTCP and they witnessed substantial declines,” said lead author Zubair Kabir, M.D., who at the time of the study was a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health. “So it was not surprising that Massachusetts, the second state, would see such declines as well, which reflect the impact of a comprehensive, integrated and — at the time — well-funded program.”
The study appears in the August issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
Kabir and his colleagues examined data from daily smokers ages 25 to 84. They found that between 1993 and 2003, coronary heart disease mortality declined 31 percent — from 199 deaths to 137 deaths per 100,000 persons each year. Smoking prevalence declined from 20.5 percent to 14.5 percent
Based on these results, the researchers calculated that 425 fewer coronary heart disease deaths were attributable to decreased smoking during the 10-year period. They concluded that expanding comprehensive tobacco control programs, such as MTCP, to other states could avoid more tobacco-related disease deaths.
Audrey Ferguson, health promotions manager at the American Lung Association of Indiana, agreed with the authors’ conclusion.
“The American Lung Association strongly supports comprehensive statewide tobacco control efforts, including increased tobacco taxes and smoke-free workplace legislation,” she said. “We recognize that tobacco use does not affect just the lungs or the heart of the tobacco user. Everyone would see health benefits from a comprehensive tobacco control plan.”
The MTCP was not immune to roadblocks, however. According to Kabir, budget cuts stalled state funding for the program in 2002, but it is now active again.
Nevertheless, he added that, “Although funding has risen somewhat since 2002, now around $12 million per year, it is nowhere near the levels seen at the height of the program in the late 90s.”

Brittany Murphy Death Ruled Pneumonia Complicated by Anemia

The LA County coroner’s office has completed it’s investigation into the December 20th death of actress Brittany Murphy. Officials have ruled her death as accidental as a result of community acquired pneumonia complicated by an iron deficiency anemia and multiple drug intoxication.
Murphy, 32, went into cardiac arrest at her home in the Hollywood Hills and was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Assistant Chief Ed Winter told PEOPLE Magazine that the actress’ death was preventable. “Murphy was planning on seeing a doctor, but she unfortunately passed away before she did. This was a case of a person with pneumonia who was anemic who was taking medication when she should’ve been getting medical treatment.”
Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the most common infectious illnesses, but unfortunately remains the seveth leading cause of death in the United States. About four to five million cases occur each year, with about 25% requiring hospitalization. It is usually acquired by inhalation of a pathogenic organism, most commonly Streptococcus pneumoniae, into the lung, but can also result from a secondary bacteremia, such as a urinary tract infection.
According to a study published in the journal CHEST, diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased susceptibility to infection and increased morbidity and mortality. Patients with diabetes who contract pneumonia are associated with having a less postive prognosis due to an increase in pleural effusion – an accumulation of fluid between the layers of tissue that line the lungs and chest cavity. Brittany Murphy had type 1 diabetes.
Iron-deficiency anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. It is most prevalent in women of child-bearing age and can be caused by an increased loss of blood, poor absorption of iron by the body, or too little iron in the diet. Among the prescription medications in Ms. Murphy’s nightstand was a prescription pain killer called Vicoprofen, which she was taking for severe menstrual cramps. Heavy menstrual bleeding can cause the blood loss that leads to iron deficiency anemia.
Ms. Murphy was buried in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve. Hopefully, her tragic situation will underscore the importance of seeking medical help for health conditions before they cause harm.