Jehovah's Witnesses who refuse blood transfusions after cardiac surgery at no greater health risk

A man receives a blood transfusion.

/ AP

(CBS News) New research shows that Jehovah's Witnesses who refuse blood transfusions after cardiac surgery are at no greater health risks than people who undergo the procedure.

The study, which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine on July 2, intended to look at patients who do not undergo blood transfusions after cardiac surgery. Because Jehovah's Witnesses believe on religious grounds that they are not supposed to ingest the blood of another, they made ideal test subjects.

The study looked at 48,986 non-Witnesses who had blood transfusions and 322 Witnesses who refused to have blood transfusions who all underwent cardiac surgery between 1983 to 2011. After matching the patients up by similar cases, researchers found both groups had similar risks for dying at the hospital. However, Witnesses had lower chances of having additional operations for bleeding, renal failure and sepsis compared with non-Witnesses who received transfusions.

"It behooves us to examine more closely some Jehovah Witness processes of care and implement them in our routine surgeries," study author Dr. Colleen Koch, a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, said to HealthDay.

Witnesses spent less time in the intensive care unit and less time in the hospital than the other group. They also had higher survival rates compared to the people who were non-witnesses at 95 percent and 89 percent respectively. Both groups had close 20-year survival rates (34 percent versus 32 percent).

According to the Mayo Clinic, blood transfusions can cause a number of health complications, including allergic reactions, fevers, lung injury, spread of bloodborne infections and acute immune hemolytic reaction - a rare transfusion reaction in which a person's body attacks the new blood because it's not the proper type. But, HealthDay points out that screening techniques introduced in the 1990s have made it safer than it previously was.

Transfusion is typically ordered because of the risk of anemia - which the National Institutes of Health defines as a condition where the body does not have enough red blood cells. Anemia can cause the person to feel tired or weak, have headaches and shortness of breath, as well as problems concentrating or thinking.

Dr. Victor A. Ferraris, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Kentucky, wrote in an accompanying commentary that the study shows that it might do doctors well to look at their own practices.

"The findings of this analysis by Pattakos and colleagues add to the increasing data that suggest that more conservative use of blood transfusions would be in our patients' interest, in both Witnesses and non-Witnesses," he stated.

But, Dr. Gregory Fontana, chair of cardiothoracic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, warns HealthDay that the results don't indicate that we should expand the findings to everyone.

"just because this paper is published, we cannot willy nilly start treating everyone like Jehovah's Witnesses," he told HealthDay. "It does provide further evidence that transfusion with real indication carries a risk that heretofore has been underestimated."

[MarkDavis100]

Jehovah's Witnesses *blood transfusion confusion*.

In 2012 God's will and scripture has little to do with the Jehovah's Witnesses position on use of blood products.
The JW leadership is foremost concerned what will play out in a secular court of law as to the parent Watchtower being held liable for wrongful deaths.
Most Jehovah's Witnesses rushed to the ER with massive blood loss will cry NO BLOOD right up to their last breath,The shocker is they can now have most of the blood components that will pull them through,but they are so indoctrinated that blood is forbidden that they can't comprehend the loopholes.
The Watchtower has drilled and grilled us that our stand on blood is NON NEGOTIABLE.
The loopholes that allow blood usage is to save the Watchtower corporation money from blood death liability suits.
This is a truly evil organization that would sacrifice tens of thousands of men,women,children for the almighty dollar.
The blood products ban has been in force since 1945 the buzz today about it being a *personal conscience matter* and the hope of new medical advances like artificial blood don't undo all those who have past perished.
The New York city based Watchtower sect is concerned foremost with liability lawsuits for wrongful death.They know that if they repeal the ban on *whole* blood transfusion,that it will open the door for legal examination of all the thousands who have died since 1945.
Cults do get people killed!
50-100 times as many men,women,children have been killed by the Watchtower society ban on *whole* blood transfusions than at Jonestown kool-aid mass murders.
*tell the truth don't be afraid*
--
Danny Haszard http://www.ajwrb.org
JW blood reform site

[hankgarza]

and your comments are based on what studies or investigations?

[pnutts27]

D.H. is not a JW and hasn't been for years -since the 90's- thus he can not say what our stand is on blood. His reply is identical on quite a few news sites dealing on blood and/or JW's.

He never has any credible sourses - just what other ex-JW's have said. No Proof.

However the proof that transfusions are bad medicine is now overwhelming.
Thus even the medical community is thanking the JW's for our stand on blood- It has Improved Health Care for Everybody - set a new "Gold Standard"

[gnimelf1968]

If you know you're going to have surgery that may require a transfusion you should "donate" some of your own blood before hand and then there is no issue. Most doctors are part of that group of self appointed superior individuals who cannot or refuse to admit they are wrong.

[cccvsurg]

I have operated on many JW patients. In my experience I have not had a JW patient who would accept the use of self donated blood. Cardiac operations can be done on JW patients relatively safely but blood, platelet, and fresh frozen plasma transfusions can not be used on these patients because of their beliefs. Therefore, sicker, riskier, and anemic patients are not offered the option of an operation.

[RaeZeep]

There is no need to self-donate and we will not do that. There are many safe procedures to help our bodies build up hemoglobin prior to surgery. This is what most of us do if we need surgery where blood lose may be a problem. My mom has had many serious operations all without blood including a hysterectomy back in the 1950's by two courageous surgeons who respected her beliefs even though her hemoglobin was very low. More recently she had open heart valve replacement and hip replacement surgeries. All without blood.By the way she is now 92. Everyone owes it to themselves to find out what doctors have ..that blood transfusions are very dangerous and that there are many safe bloodless alternatives for treating almost all health problems.

[123YourOut]

Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) will let their spouse, children, and parents die who need a blood transfusion. Most don't have a high school education, because their faith doesn't encourage "higher education". I wouldn't believe a JW no matter what they claim the benefits of refusing a blood transfusion are. Thousands of their own have died, because of refusing blood transfusions. Why? Because the Society would be sued to non-existence if they changed their stance now.

[llerenas1]

They don't let them die. It is actually better not have a blood transfusion because i have a grandma who has cancer and they did her one. And guess what? It made it worse!

[llerenas1]

Also, they do care about education. That's the only way you get a job! There are some who work on the radio stations and even some are doctors. Some chose not to get a higher education because they want to spend more time serving god instead of pleasing themselves.

[erasmus111]

So what it's saying is, there is MORE of a risk having a blood transfusion!

"just because this paper is published, we cannot willy nilly start treating everyone like Jehovah's Witnesses,"

Why not? It's an obvious health risk. Maybe non-witnesses should start refusing it too. I'm not a Jehovah's Witness, but I have always questioned whether we should be getting transfusions. Especially with all the screw-ups that have happened.

[pnutts27]

Actually in some areas the number of patients refusing blood and blood's major components ( blood is hardly ever transfused whole anymore ) far outnumber witnesses. Other areas it is 25-30-50% of patients who refuse blood- on health issues alone. No religion involved - just educated professional people such as doctors, nurses, firefighters and now even soldiers, etc.
Englewood Hospital performs 95% ( as of Jan, 2010 ) surgeries without blood - for everybody.
NE Baptist, San Antonio - similar time frame was shooting for 90% bloodless for everybody-and it was a new program back then.
Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital preps every child for bloodless surgery "because those most harmed by adverse reactions of transfusions are children who have a whole life ahead of them"

Some doctors actually have said "Treat all patients as Jehovah's Witnesses" Dr. Bruce Spiess

Bloodless Medicine & Surgery is "now the Gold Standard of Medicine" Dick Verstraete, RN,MA, CCRN nurse coordinator at Georgetown U Hospital.

etc., etc. The evidence against transfusions is, and for 'bloodless medicine' is now overwelming.
"Transfusions are Bad Medicine"