Six weeks ago I needed
immediate major surgery
in Seoul, South Korea. I have B negative type blood. A major TV station
with a broadcast audience of over ten million viewers
made two public service announcements requesting B negative bood donors. Two people responded. Luckily each
donation passed rigorous screeening tests. My pre-op continued as scheduled.
As a result of this experience, I realize in some measure, some of the very real concerns and difficulties expats in Ecuador might experience
in an emergency.
In this spirit, please let me
share some research I just now completed. [By the way, I am writing this from my hospital room right now.]
If a person is hospitalized and needsA or B type blood within 12-24 hours
...especially if they have A Negative, B Negative, or AB Negative blood...
the absence of suitable blood in necessary
quantity becomes life-threatening.
B Negative Blood Type: Blood Donation
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/b-negative-blood-type.html
B negative blood type people can only receive blood from either their own blood type donors or O negative donors.
People with this blood type benefit the most from double cell blood donation type.
It allows two units of double red blood cells to be donated at a time.
Also, while donation it is necessary to match the race and ethnicity of the donor and the recipient.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/b-negative-blood-type.html
Dependent on other foreigners for vital blood donations?
Awareness Checklist:
A Start
Q1: What percentage of expats do you estimate are able to donate rare blood types?
Q2: What percentage of expats do you estimate are able and willing to donate blood?
Q3: What percentage of expats do you estimate would donate when you need it in "normal" times?
Q4: What percentage of expats do you estimate would be available to donate in a national crisis?
Q5: Do any of your personal friends or family in Ecuador share your blood type? In South America?
Q6: How many minutes are you from the nearest blood donation-transfusion location?
Q7: How many minutes are you from the airport?
Q8: If you have a car, who would drive you?
Q9: Do you have of list of at least two people you know personally who have your blood type?
This list should include their physical residence address, mobile phone, message phone, email address, place of work, and if possible, a photocopy of their drivers license or other national ID.
Note: "...$3 for the card stating my blood type.." http://www.gringosabroad.com/how-to-get-an-ecuadorian-drivers-license-step-1/
Q10: If you have a scheduled operation within the next thirty days, have you made blood donation arrangements?
Q11: Since your blood type is so uncommon or rare [B- or AB-], are you financially able and prepared to pay from $100 to $1000 cash to the private donor for each unit of blood of that passes all required screening tests?
SEE: NOTE [1] below.
Q11: Are your medical records for at least the last 24 months translated into Spanish?
Q12: Do you have two photocopy sets of these records?
Q13: Do you have the name, address and contact information of your physician or care provider facility in your purse or wallet?
Q14: If you have never met your doctor-physician or been to the offices of your insurance-approved care provider, when will you go?
[If nothing else, consider it a "dry-run" precaution.]
Q15: Do you know the basics of a blood transfusion?
http://www.medicinenet.com/blood_transfusion/article.htm
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/blood-transfusion-overview
NOTE: Distribution of the A and B type blood allele in native populations of the world: less than 5% in South America.
http://anthro.palomar.edu/vary/vary_3.htm
-------------------------------------
Finally, the Rh factor is important for pregnant women.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/cells-tissues/question593.htm
If an Rh+ man and an Rh- woman have a child, the child can be Rh+ or Rh-,
depending upon the genotype of the father.
If the baby is Rh+, this can cause problems.
While in the womb, some blood cells from the baby will cross the placenta into the mother's blood stream.
The mother will make antibodies to the Rh+ cells.
If the woman becomes pregnant again and if the baby is Rh+,
the mother's anti-Rh antibodies will cross into the baby's blood and destroy its red blood cells, which can kill the baby.
If diagnosed early, it is possible to save a baby under these circumstances by replacing the baby's blood with transfusions that are free of the Rh antibodies.
Also, if this situation is known, it is possible to treat a Rh- woman with anti-Rh antibodies (RhoGam) immediately after childbirth to inactivate the baby's Rh+ cells and prevent the mother from forming anti-Rh antibodies (desensitize her).
-------------------------------------
B Negative Blood Type: Risks [for pregnancy]
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/b-negative-blood-type.html
Apart from the fact that type B negative blood is rare, there are certain other risks involved.
These risks are peculiar to all the negative blood groups.
The main risk is during pregnancy, when the mother is Rh- and the fetus is Rh+.
Human body has a tendency to build antibodies against anything that is foreign to our body.
Naturally, baby's blood is no exception as it comprises of antigens from the father (which are foreign to the mother's body).
In response to these antigens, the immune system builds antibodies of type IgG and IgM.
The antibodies for the major blood groups ABO are of type IgM while those for Rh(D) are of type IgG.
The antibodies of type IgM are large and cannot be transported through placenta, all the way to the baby.
However, type IgG antibodies easily enter the placenta and are transferred to the baby, to attack his antigens.
This can induce some risks for the baby, during the pregnancy and the mother, after the childbirth.
These risk factors can be minimized by immunizing the mother with IgG antibodies in the third trimester of pregnancy.
-------------------------------------
Importance of Cord Blood Banking for your new born baby.
http://www.cordbloodhelp.org/
-------------------------------------
CORD BLOOD BANKING
Biocells Discoveries de Ecuador
INTERNET: www.biocells.med.ec
PHONE: 1-800-BIOCELLS or 593-2-2250-178
OFFICE: Headquarters in Quito, Ecuador; 2nd office in Guayaquil
STORAGE: Quito, Ecuador
COMMENTS:
Biocells Discoveries is the first cord blood bank based in Ecuador. It is financed by both American and Ecuadoran investors.
SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
Courier service is provided by Biocells as part of the contract.
Cord blood is processed within 24 hours of arrival at lab.
Biocells procedure is to collect cord blood in bags but store in vials.
The MonoNuclear Cells in the cord blood are separated completely by centrifuge.
No enrollment fee, first year storage included in processing, discount for prepaid storage.
NOTE [1]: It is obligatory for AABB accredited cord blood banks to conduct the following medical tests: family: health history mother: test for HIV-I&II, Hepatitis B&C, CMV, HTLV-I&II, Syphilis cord blood: test for ABO, Rh, WBC, CD+34, red cell antibodies, bacterial or fungal contamination.
-------------------------------------
B Negative blood as DONOR blood:
B Negative Blood Group : Just like A Negative , 100% of the population can receive platelets from B Negaitve Blood Type.
There is always shortage of B Negative Blood in various blood banks,
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