Altruistic donation Health Dictionary

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Altruistic Donation: From 1 Different Sources

a type of organ donation where the donor offers an organ (often a kidney) for transplantation into a stranger. This may form a chain of organ donation to allow a suitable match for the donor’s relative or partner if the pair are incompatible.
Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Blood Donation

The process of giving blood for use in blood transfusion.

Donated blood is tested for a range of infectious agents such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C and antibodies to HIV. After being classified into blood groups, the blood is stored in a blood bank, either whole or separated into its different components (see blood products). Apheresis is a type of blood donation in which only a specific blood component, such as plasma, platelets, or white cells, is withdrawn from the donor. blood film A test that involves smearing a drop of blood on to a glass slide for examination under a microscope. The blood film is stained with dyes to make the blood cells show up clearly.

The test allows the shape and appearance of blood cells to be checked for any abnormality, such as the sickleshaped red blood cells characteristic of sickle cell anaemia.

The relative proportions of the different types of white blood cells can also be counted.

This examination, called a differential white cell count, may be helpful in diagnosing infection or leukaemia.

Blood films are also used in diagnosing infections, such as malaria, in which the parasites can be seen inside the red blood cells.

Blood films are usually carried out together with a full blood count.... blood donation

Organ Donation

The agreement of a person (or his or her family) to surgical removal of one or more organs for use in transplant surgery.

Most organs for transplantation, such as the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys, are removed immediately after death, often in intensive care units where heart and lung function is sometimes maintained by machine after brain death been certified.

Compatible living donors may also be able to give a kidney (see tissue-typing).

People can facilitate use of their organs after death by informing relatives and carrying a donor card.

(See also corneal graft; heart–lung transplant; heart transplant; heart-valve surgery; kidney transplant; liver transplant.)... organ donation

Egg Donation

see oocyte donation.... egg donation

Oocyte Donation

(egg donation) the transfer of secondary *oocytes from one woman to another. Possible recipients include women with primary or secondary ovarian failure or severe genetic disorders, and women in whom ovulation has been suppressed as an incidental result of drug treatment for another condition (e.g. cancer). Pregnancy rates are higher than with *in vitro fertilization.... oocyte donation

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