Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1983. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
|
|
United Press Internatinal - July 17, 1983
Several major cities reported problems with blood collection last month but blood donations have picked up, according to two organizations that oversee donations for most of the country. They report there is no blood shortage nationwide, although New York, Chicago and Philadelphia still have problems with blood supplies for transfusions.
The American Red Cross and American Association of Blood Banks said that even with a slight slump in donations because of the summer vacation season, collection was generally even with or even ahead of last year's pace.
"In the middle of June, many regions seemed to be having a lot of trouble with donation," said Dr. Alfred Katz, executive director of Red Cross blood services. "A major contributor to this seemed to be a little bit of confusion about AIDS. That seems to have turned around. Most regions seemed to end the month in pretty good shape." Needles Source of Fear
Some potential donors had been afraid they could get AIDS from needles used to collect blood, according to health officials. Most of the 1,700 AIDS cases reported this year in the United States have been among homosexual and bisexual men or those who take drugs by intravenous injection. There have been rare cases in which the disease has been spread though transfusions of AIDS-contaminated blood.
The fatality rate is at least 50 percent and there is no known cure for the disease, which severly damages the immune system, making its victims susceptible to a wide variety of infections and a rare type of cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma.
A Red Cross official, Ann Stingle, said blood collections for the week of June 13 were down 16.4 percent but had improved since then. The Red Cross collects about 50 percent of the blood used by the nation's hospitals.
830717
UP830704
Copyright © 1983 - United Press International. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through United Press International, Permissions Desk, 1510 H St. N.W. Washington DC 2005. Main Phone Switchboard: 202-898-8000 FAX: 202-898-8057 or 202-898-8147 Email: info@upi.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1983. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1983. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .