well I was thinking more about the CJD risk. BTW blood donation is set to plummet when they bring out a test, would you want to know if you were prion positive? it's not as if you will definitely contract CJD and if you do there is no cure ;- (
It would be nice to know you're prion negative though. I felt quite reassured after a brain scan showed up nothing (not even a brain ;-). They weren't looking for CJD, but I wonder if they'd have spotted it if it was there. Of course, I've had blood since, though apparently its a lot safer nowadays. It also means I won't be allowed to give blood myself so won't be able to take the test.
"Richard Corfield" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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MartinM said:
well I was thinking more about the CJD risk. BTW blood donation is set
to
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plummet when they bring out a test, would you want to know if you were
prion
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positive? it's not as if you will definitely contract CJD and if you do there is no cure ;- (
It would be nice to know you're prion negative though. I felt quite reassured after a brain scan showed up nothing (not even a brain ;-). They weren't looking for CJD, but I wonder if they'd have spotted it if it was there.
AIUI no; the only conclusive test at the moment is post mortem. as we don't even know what prion is (although a molecular poison seems the most common explanation) or how it is transmitted it is difficult to say from a test whether prion in a living person is a) transmissable b) likely to lead to vCJD, but they are playing safe by ensuring any transfused patients and presumably those who test positive are excluded. I would not be surprised if it ends up being tested secretly and not notified, positive blood will not be used but the donor will not be informed in order to prevent a national panic, but that is only a possible scenario
BTW I see Tyler has had the case dropped, insufficient evidence in the sample; let's hope that's the end of the matter.
On 22 Sep 2004 01:18:44 -0700, "MSeries" <[email hidden]>
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MartinM said:
Just read the BBC report about Tyler Hamilton; oh dear, will they
never
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learn? But there is also an article in the Times today about Autologous transfusions(ie your own blood). We use this occasionally for people coming in for an operation, the idea being that you can make up your red cell count while your donated blood is in the fridge for a few weeks (usually maximum of 2 units about 500ml) then they give it back to you to replace what you lose in surgery; not generally encouraged because it is a lot more work and money than just pulling two units
of
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eg O positive off the shelf but in theory much safer. Very sneaky to use it for cycling though; almost undetectable.
This is the old blood doping trick and was used by a top long distance runner.
Lasse Viren - 1972 ish
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Extract the blood after some serious altitude training then use it for a transfusion before a sea level event. Loads more red blood cells.
I would not be surprised if it ends up being tested secretly and not notified, positive blood will not be used but the donor will not be informed in order to prevent a national panic, but that is only a possible scenario
Why do you think they would do that? Donor blood is tested for a lot of things at the moment. The information given to donors says that they will be told if the tests show they have any of the tested for problems. Why should telling a few would be donors that they are prion positive induce national panic? The incidence of a particular item in blood donors isn't a useful statistic for whole population incidence, as donors are a self-selecting subsection of the population that aren't representative of the UK population. There was neither panic nor secrecy when the blood donor service started HIV testing, so I don't see why prion testing should induce panic either. But then I'm a vegetarian, so perhaps it all looks different from the carnivorous perspective. -- Television is for appearing on -- not for looking at. Noel Coward Steph Peters delete invalid from [email hidden] Tatting, lace & stitching page <http://www.sandbenders.demon.co.uk/index.htm>
"Steph Peters" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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MartinM' of said:
I would not be surprised if it ends up being tested secretly and not notified, positive blood will not be used but the donor will not be
informed
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in order to prevent a national panic, but that is only a possible
scenario
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Why do you think they would do that? Donor blood is tested for a lot of things at the moment. The information given to donors says that they will be told if the tests show they have any of the tested for problems. Why should telling a few would be donors that they are prion positive induce national panic? The incidence of a particular item in blood donors isn't
a
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useful statistic for whole population incidence, as donors are a self-selecting subsection of the population that aren't representative of the UK population. There was neither panic nor secrecy when the blood
donor
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service started HIV testing, so I don't see why prion testing should
induce
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panic either. But then I'm a vegetarian, so perhaps it all looks
different
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from the carnivorous perspective.
Me too , although I did not give up meat until the late 80's so am very much at risk. They seem to think up to 50% may give up donation, not because they will test positive, but because they will not wish to know if they are. Most donors had no qualms about being tested for HIV as they knew they were at no risk, and most of those that were did not donate anyway, vCJD has the potential to be much much bigger, and they cannot afford to do a population study once a test becomes available; they have to get potential tranmsitters of prion out of the donation process ASAP. Perhaps if they knew they would end up incinerating so many cattle for FMD they would have grabbed the bull by the horns (pun intended) and eradicated BSE when they had the chance instead of feeding us (and Gummer's daughter) complete [censored].
