'Our patients rely on the generosity of donors'.
Izhar Khan, Consultant Nephrologist at NHS Grampian explains why blood, platelets and plasma and so important for his patients.
‘The patients I look after suffer from a variety of kidney diseases, this can include patients who are suffering from kidney failure or patients who require dialysis treatment and those who undergo a kidney transplant. In addition to those patients, we also see people with all sorts of congenital kidney diseases, inherited kidney diseases or acquired kidney diseases.’
‘A number of these patients require blood or blood products. We have patients who can be severely anaemic. We also carry our procedures that may lead to significant blood loss like a kidney biopsy or preparation for dialysis - this requires an operation on their blood vessels and severe anaemia or blood loss can occur suddenly, in which case, blood transfusions are life saving for them.’
Our patients who require blood and blood products rely on the generosity of donors. Consultant Nephrologist Izhar Khan
‘Our patients can also require platelets and plasma. A lot of our patients suffer from conditions where their platelets, the component that is so important for clotting of blood, is really low and they have to have a platelet transfusion.’
‘We also offer some patients a procedure called a ‘plasma exchange’. These patients suffer from diseases that are mediated by poisons or antibodies in their plasma and that has to be removed through a machine. We really rely quite heavily on blood and blood products being available or a regular basis.’
‘Our patients who require blood and blood products rely on the generosity of donors. We rely on donors to replenish our supplies which we use for our patients to save their lives and improve their quality of life. Our patients are grateful and we are grateful for your generosity.’
‘I appeal to you to please consider donating blood, platelets or plasma as it will improve patients quality of life and will indeed save patients lives.’