Blood Donations

Cancer treatments and a variety of surgeries and emergency procedures all have the potential to require blood transfusions. The blood that is used in these procedures can either be donated by the individual in question (if there is enough of a warning that the procedure will be necessary) or can be donated or sold by a person off of the streets.

The ability to sell one’s blood used to be much more widespread. It was possible for a reputedly healthy person to walk into any blood center and sell a pint in exchange for money. With the outbreak of AIDS/HIV and other blood-borne diseases in the 1980s, however, it was determined that this might not be the best plan.

Blood that is donated today is subjected to a number of tests to determine if it is actually healthy blood. When one donates blood today, the little vials that are filled before blood is allowed into the main bag are used for testing. These tests are in place to ensure that an unsuspecting individual is both notified of any diseases and to check that the donor wasn’t lying about diseases.

These checks were not always in place. Before we were aware of HIV/AIDS and other diseases, blood was subjected to minimal checks before being given over to the recipient. This trusting way of donating blood led to many people being infected by blood-borne, incurable diseases. One such recipient was Arthur Ashe, who contracted HIV and then AIDS through a blood transfusion when he went in for heart surgery.

Contact a Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If a doctor has accepted unsafe blood and exposed you or a loved one to disease as a result, contact the Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 610-667-7511 to learn more about your legal options.