Unneeded cure spreads a deadly killer - International Herald Tribune
Oh good. The "Blog This" feature on Blogger works now on the new version of Blogger. I find it very handy.
Anyway, back to the point. The story above is about a medical treatment issue I had never heard of before: the use of unnecessary blood transfusions in Russia, Asia and Eastern Europe, and its role in spreading HIV.
That's an horrific thing to be happening.
ReplyDeleteWe in the West, though, notwithstanding mostly "clean" blood supplies and clean blood products, still overuse blood transfusions and blood products. It's almost the equivalent of handing out antibiotics needlessly, or "just in case".
A couple of years ago I read a story quoting medical people as saying that up to 80% of blood transfusions weren't necessary, they were given "routinely", but without any medically supportable reason.
But as always, this week sees articles all over the place and adverts begging for blood donors, because of our perpetual "blood shortage".
There would never be a blood shortage if medical treatments were more discriminate.
I know, I know, it's not a 'popular' view, and the medical profession wouldn't be so liberal with unnecessary treatments would they? Particularly not such a dangerous and intrusive one?
Would they?