The number of blood donors at the Damascus University Center for Blood Transfusion reached a total of 31,000 volunteers in 2010, which exceeds that of previous years by 10,000 volunteers. This shows evidence for some awareness on the part of the citizen concerning the importance of donating blood, as attested by the number of medical blood bags (24,489) which had just been separated into their essential components, or 81.63% of the total blood harvested, whereas the percentage had been 76.9% previously. In addition, the unprocessed bags that had just been collected (8,511), increased from its previous percentage of 18.37 to 23.1. Previously, the number of exemptions given to citizens had reached 1,347.
In addition, it is known that the Damascus University Center for Blood Transfusion provides the following services:
-Solving the insurmountable problems in blood donation and transfusion in private hospitals in Damascus.
-Providing services to patients of thalassemia in Damascus, Homs, Daraa, and therefore providing a way of insuring that red blood cells are typed and filtered.
The Damascus University Center for Blood Transfusion also provides testing for diseases carried in the blood by conducting the following tests for:
-The surface antigen HBsAg which indicates the presence of the Hepatitus B virus.
-The antibody anti-HCV which indicates the presence of the Hepatitus C virus.
-The antibody which indicates the presence of Treponera Pallidum or Syphilus.
-The antibody anti-CMV which indicates the presence of amplifier cells.
The center offers these tests via advanced technology recommended by the World Health Organization and certified by the FDA.
The center also prepares the following blood products:
-Red Blood Cells (RBC)
-Red Blood Cells, removed of white blood cells and filtered (FRBC)
-Fresh frozen plasma (FFB)
-Cryoprecipitate
-Red Blood Cells for children, where the units of 3-4 children may be prepared from the unit of 1 adult, thus lessening the waste that occurs due to the fact that child is not able to use an entire medical bag of blood.
-Red Blood Cells of the phenotype RBC for circulation systems other than the ABO types, which is important for recurring patients like those suffering from thalassemia, immune deficiencies, and those in the obstetric division.
-Red Blood Cells removed of white blood cells or leukocyte depleted RBC, which is necessary to extract 24 hours after harvesting the blood, and this applies to every single bag of blood for the following reasons:
-Avoiding accidents concerning the immunization of antibody components for all of the HLA present in white blood cells.
-Avoiding the escape of effective antibody components in white blood cells throughout the storage period, the most important of them being cytokine, which is responsible for reaction events that are not haemolytic, be they allergies or side effects.
-Avoiding moving the CMV (CytoMeglovirus) latent in cytoplasmic leukocyte.
The Damascus University Center for Blood Transfusion is considered an essential part of the Marrow Transplant Project, the preparation of its opening just having been finished in the University Children’s Hospital. Preparations have also began for a laboratory for stem cell research, a laboratory of cryo-preservation of stem cells both anonymous and identified, and an irradiation laboratory for the production of blood, which is very important for marrow-transplant patients, organ transplant patients, cancer patients being treated with immune inhibitors, and premature and new-born babies.
The University has also made provisions for the Damascus University Center for Blood Transfusion for a plasma stun device which operates by freezing plasma and bringing it to a temperature of -50 degrees Celsius within less than an hour. This process preserves the plasma’s remaining clotting properties.
Aphaersis Unit
The Damascus University Center for Blood Transfusion also offers medical services to many patients, due to the fact that the center contains a unit for the selective separation of blood components.
Therapeutic Plasma Exchange
This therapy has important applications in the way of the nervous system, the circulatory system, the colon, the vascular system, etc.
As this technique of the selective separation of blood components allows the integral blood of the patient to be taken directly from the vein, which is then separated into its basic components (red blood cells, plasma, platelets, lymphocytes), and the desired component of the blood is then excluded for separation. In the case of the Plasma Exchange, the removal and gathering of the patient’s plasma into a separate bag is completed. At the same time new plasma or Albumin is injected into the body of the patient automatically with all of the remaining blood components.
The center also treated a number of cases where 602 consultations were conducted with 107 patients.
- Gullian-Barre, 28 patients, and plasma separation is considered a medical consultation of the 1st degree.
- TTP (Thrombotic Thrombocytonpenicproprura), 27 patients, a medical consultation of the 1st degree.
- Mysthenia Gravis, a medical consultation of the 1st degree, 9 patients.
- Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, 8 patients, a consultation of the 1st degree.
- Renal Failure, 8 patients. Renal failure is an inflammation of the CPAP and the colon-the beginning of an immunologic rejection after a kidney transplant, and a consultation of the 2nd division.
- Hemolytic Anemic (Autoimmune hemolytic anemia), 6 patients, a consultation of the 3rd degree.
-Hardening of the plaque-4 patients
-Vasculitus- 4 patients
-Lupus Erythematosus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)-3 patients, a consulation of the 3rd degree.
-Muscle Inflammation-3 patients.
-Genetically High LDL Cholesterol-2 patients.
-Cryoglobulinemia-2 patients.
-Inflammation of the Brain (Rasmussen’s Encephalitus)-2 patients, a consultation of the 1st degree.
-Lower Body Failure-1 patient.
-Thalassemmia Mengele-1 patient
A test is conducted for every patient.
-For blood groups ABO, RhD.
-Standardization of Rh, K.
-Detection of Antibodies to determine their type and profile.
-Profiling expanded by Duffy Kidd.
-Compatibility testing with blood unit (decussation).
-All bags that are used in blood transfer therapy are thoroughly filtered.
Everything mentioned above is the result of the concerted efforts of everyone from the General Organization for the Blood and Medical Industry, and the representative chair of the University of Damascus.
