Blood and Organ Donation

Parts of the blood

Blood is the fluid circulating in
the body that carries nutrients
and oxygen, removes waste
products and fights infection.

Red Blood Cells

Plasma
White Blood Cells
Platelets

Red blood cells

Red blood cells carry oxygen to the bodys organs and tissues.
The inside of the red blood cell is filled with the protein haemoglobin.

Plasma
Blood cells float in a yellow
liquid called plasma.
Plasma consist of water and
many dissolved substances
required by the body.

White blood cells

White blood cells attack invading
microbes that cause disease
They do this in two ways:
1. One type of white blood cell produces
chemicals called antibodies.
These antibodies lock on to proteins
called antigens on the surface of the
microbes.
2. Another type of white blood cell digests
any microbes the antibodies lock on
to.

Platelets
Platelets are
bits of cell broken off large
cells
They
help blood to clot
and stop bleeding at cuts.

Blood transfusions save

lives everyday

One-time to replace a sudden loss of blood, for example following a

serious accident, during surgery or childbirthm (Guam example), etc.

Ongoing to treat blood diseases like sickle cell anaemia, or to treat

cancer patients who survive their treatment.

Often transfusions are just the part of the blood that the patient needs,
e.g. red blood cells for sickle cell sufferers, whose own red cells are
defective.

Medical breakthroughs like organ transplants increase the demand for

donated blood.

Donating blood
Whats so special about turning 17?
At 17, if you are fit and healthy, you can donate blood.
This is a unit of blood, about 450ml.
Donate this much and you can help save lives.
Donated blood gets separated, and its four component parts
can be used to help more than one patient in need.
So, even a single donation can help multiple people.
Imagine how many people a regular donor can help
But not everyone can donate to everyone

Blood groups

There are four blood groups A, B, AB and O

Blood groups are classed as positive with the presence of a
particular antigen, or negative if its not there
Your parents blood groups affect what group you belong to
O is the only blood group that everyone can receive, no matter
what group they belong to
Some blood groups are more common among some ethnic
communities
Some ethnic communities are more likely to develop particular
medical conditions that require blood donations

Blood groups in detail

Blood group

Group A:

Group B:

Group AB:

Group O:

Antigens
You have certain proteins (called antigens)
on the surface of your red blood cells:

Has
A
antigens

Has
B
antigens

Has
A and B
antigens

Has neither A nor B

antigens

Antibodies
Your blood plasma contains certain
antibodies which would attack red blood
cell antigens that you do not have:

Against B
antigens Anti-B

Against A antigens
Anti-A

Against no
antigens

Against A and B
antigens Anti-A, B

Can donate to:

Only those with antibodies that will NOT
react with the antigens in the donated
blood.
e.g. Group A donor can only donate to
recipients without Anti-A

Can donate to
Group A and
Group AB

Can donate to Group B

and Group AB

Can donate to
Group AB

Can donate to all

groups

Can receive from

Group A and
Group O

Can receive from Group

B and Group O

Can receive from

all groups

Can only receive

from Group O

Can receive from:

Only those whose antigens will NOT react
with its own antibodies.
e.g. Group A recipient can receive from
anyone without B antigens.

Cells, tissues and organs

All living organisms are made
up of cells.
Large numbers of cells group
together to form tissue.
Tissues can combine to form
organs.

Kidney function
The kidneys act as filters. As blood passes through they filter out:
Water Glucose Urea (waste) Ions (salt)
Blood cells and large molecules, such as proteins, stay in the blood
(they are too big to be filtered).
Then the kidneys reabsorb what the body requires.
The rest of the filtered chemicals go to the bladder to make up urine.

Kidney failure
You have two kidneys, but you can live with just one.
But if both kidneys fail, urea (waste) accumulates and
the body is poisoned.

So if your kidneys fail, there are 2 options:

Option 1: Dialysis
You are attached to a kidney machine via a tube from a
vein.
Your blood flows into the machine, is filtered, and returns
to your body.
You are attached for about 5 hours, 3 times per week.
Option 2: A kidney transplant
You have an operation to remove your failed kidney and
replace it with a working kidney from a donor.
One or both kidneys may need to be transplanted

Dialysis or transplant?

Kidney dialysis works quite well, but is a time-consuming and inconvenient.

Apart from taking drugs to stop their body rejecting the new kidney,
someone with a successful transplant can lead a completely normal life.

A transplant costs about 42,000 for the operation plus 6,500 a year in
drugs and check-ups.
BUT

Dialysis isnt cheap about 23,000 per year, for life.

Where do the donor kidneys come from?

A living person can donate one kidney.

Most people die at home so there is a serious shortage of donor

kidneys for transplant.

There are thousands of people waiting for a kidney transplant.

To donate a kidney (or any organ) after death, you have to have died
in hospital because they have to be removed quickly.

Around 2,000 kidney transplants are carried out annually and each
year 2,000 more people go on the kidney transplant list.

Organ transplants
After death, the following organs can be donated for organ transplant:
kidneys heart

liver lungs

pancreas

small bowel

In life, some organs can be donated too:

kidneys, because we can manage with just one.
part of the liver, because it can regenerate (grow back)
part of the lung
part of the small bowel (small intestine)

For a successful organ match, the donor and transplant patient ideally
should have compatible:
Blood group and Human Leukocyte Antigen type

Blood group
Group A:

Group B:

Group
AB:

Group O:

Can receive from:

Can receive
from Group A
and Group O

Can receive
Can
from Group B receive
and Group O from all
groups

Can donate to:

Can donate to Can donate to Can

Can donate to
Group A and Group B and donate to all groups
Group AB
Group AB
Group AB

Can only
receive from
Group O

Matching donor organs to recipients

Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) tissue type
A kidney donor needs to be a close HLA type match with the recipient.
HLA type can make the difference between a patients body accepting or
rejecting a donated organ.
HLA type is defined by six principal pieces of protein: HLA antigens.
Each newly discovered HLA antigen has been numbered.
Doctors aim for at least a four HLA match between a donor and patient.
Which of these donors is the best match for someone in need of a
kidney transplant, with HLA numbers 2 3 6 9 10 13?
Recipient 1: 2 6 7 10 11 13
Recipient 2: 3 6 8 9 11 12
Recipient 3: 2 6 9 10 12 13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=vZNa_I4xBnk