Blood Transfusion Guidelines for International Travelers
(This information originated from the WHO publication "World
Health Organization Global Programme on AIDS: Blood Transfusion Guidelines for
International Travellers." )
There is growing public awareness of the AIDS epidemic, and a resulting
concern about acquiring the AIDS virus through blood transfusions. Systematic
screening of blood donations is not yet feasible in all developing countries.
Requests have been made by persons planning international travels, to have their
own blood, or blood from their home country, available to them in case of urgent
need. These requests raise logistic, technical and ethical issues which are not
easy to resolve. Ultimately, the safety of blood for such persons will depend
upon the quality of blood transfusion services in the host country. The
strengthening of these services is of the highest priority. While efforts are
being made to achieve this end, other approaches are also needed.
Basic Principles:
- Unexpected, emergency blood transfusion is rarely required. It is needed
only in situations of massive hemorrhage like severe trauma, gynecologic and
obstetric emergency, or gastrointestinal bleeding.
- In many cases, resuscitation can be achieved by use of colloid or
crystalloid plasma expanders instead of blood.
- Blood transfusion is not free of risk, even in the best of conditions. In
most developing countries, the risk is increased by limited technical resources
for screening blood donors for HIV infection and other diseases transmissible by
blood.
- The international shipment of blood for transfusion is practical only when
handled by agreement between two responsible organizations, such as national
blood transfusion services. This mechanism is not useful for emergency needs of
individual patients and should not be attempted by private individuals or
organizations not operating recognized blood programs.
Therefore:
- There are no medical indications for travelers to take blood with them
from their home country.
- The limited storage period of blood and the need for special equipment
negate the feasibility of independent blood banking for individual travelers or
small groups.
- Blood should be transfused only when absolutely indicated. This applies
even more forcefully in those countries where screening of blood for
transmissible diseases is not yet widely performed.
Proposed Options:
- When urgent resuscitation is necessary, the use of plasma expanders rather
than blood should always be considered.
- In case of emergency need of blood, use of plasma expanders and urgent
evacuation home may be the actions of choice.
- When blood transfusion cannot be avoided, the attending physician should
make every effort to ensure that the blood has been screened for transmissible
diseases, including HIV.
- International travelers should:
- take active steps to minimize the risk of injury;
- establish a plan for dealing with medical emergencies;
- support the development within countries of safe and adequate blood
supplies
.
Excerpted from:U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. HHS Publication No. (CDC) 94-8280. June,
1994. pg. 157.
Your Armchair Advisor says
" if travelling in a country with inadequate health facilities, you may
want to check with your doctor or a travel medicine specialist about carrying
some of your own medical supplies. To protect yourself from unsafe needles or
blood supply, you may want to investigate traveller's medical insurance for
evacuation or possible supply of uncontaminated blood."

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