How Does This Impact Blood Bankers?

There’s a pretty good chance that most of you are not overly familiar with such texts as Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 17:10, Deuteronomy 12:23, or Acts 15:28, 29 (don’t worry, this episode is not a theological discussion!). To Jehovah’s Witnesses, however, those four texts form the core of their belief that blood transfusion is forbidden (for more detail, see the Witnesses web site for several discussions on blood transfusion).

When a patient shows up at a medical facility and says, “I am a Jehovah’s Witness and I do not want any transfusion whatsoever,” clinical providers may find themselves unsure of how to proceed. Since there are over 8.5 million Witnesses worldwide, it is almost inevitable that most facilities will face this issue at some point. Somewhat ironically, Transfusion Medicine professionals are often asked for their “expert” opinions on what to do with patients who actually refuse most of the blood products we provide!

Why Discuss This Here?

In these often-challenging situations, I believe it is essential that those of us who work in Transfusion Medicine be aware of the issues our clinical colleagues face with patients who refuse transfusion. Blood bankers can often help ensure that Witnesses receive compassionate, respectful, and excellent care, and there is much we can learn from them. There are also nuances to the transfusion prohibition (such as a general acceptance of “derivatives” which may include coagulation factors and even cryoprecipitate), and we would be wise to understand the general principles. I asked Jed Gorlin, Medical Director at Innovative Blood Resources, to share his expertise in these settings with you.