Why You Give Your Blood

New Zealand Listener, Volume 8, Issue 204, 21 May 1943, Page 19

Why You Give Your Blood

"N\A ORE lives were lost through shock in the last war than from bullets," The Listener was told in the course of an inspection of a new Mobile Blood Transfusion Unit which is shortly to make its debut on some battlefield in the Pacific area. "If the wounded can be given a blood transfusion and oxygen as soon as possible, they stand a better chance of a good recovery, however serious their wounds may be." The Mobile Blood Transfusion Unit has been designed and built in New Zealand, and a single van holds all the equipment — the frigidaire for the storing of the plasma and infusions, the oxygen apparatus, the cupboards for bandages and lint, sink, spirit burner, and so on, But patients are not brought in here. A tent lean-to is stretched from the top of the unit to form an airy, covered casualty station. A pannier with the material for transfusions is brought from inside the van to the casualty station, and transfusions are administered there. A communicating window opens between the two, and through this window passes the) tube through which oxygen is administered, Provided that the battle does not take place in steep or impenetrable country, the unit can come right up to the front line. It carries a medical officer and several orderlies, who live and make their home in it. There is equipment for the giving of six transfusions simultaneously, so the number. of patients who can be treated in a day is considerable. And three sorts of transfusions may be given, Saline infusions are kept in bottles in the frigidaire and brought up to blood heat at the time of transfusion. Direct transfusions may also be given, that is, blood donors may be found on or near the scene of battle, but blood taken in this way must be used within a short period of time. Thirdly, and this is the most popular

method of to-day, an infusion may be made from dried plasma packed up in tins. "Full instructions are on the outside of the tins," we were told. "This can be used very quickly, and keeps better and is easier to handle than the saline infusions. The pure blood is better, but it is so much more awkward to handle that we are rather coming round to using these tins. Most of what we have are put up in America." "And cups of tea?" we suggested. "Don’t the staff need cups of tea to help them along?" The officer looked doubtful, "If you lift the seat on which you are sitting }~u will see the spirit burner. Cups of tea could be made with that." Yes, there it was, neatly folded away in its case, and next to it no, not a tea’ caddy, but two bottles of brandy, Perhaps after all one can do without tea.