Scottish National Blood Transfusion ServiceEmergency Appeal - Update

Blood supplies in Scotland reached dangerously low levels during October. The threat of canceling planned operations has lessened, but it is expected to take a further four weeks for the blood supply to return to a healthy level.

http://www.scotblood.co.uk/

Blood supplies 'could be halved' as donors fear results of vCJD tests James Meikle, health correspondentBritain could lose up to half its blood supplies within the next two years because of donors' fears that they might find they have the human form of BSE. NHS officials warn that a million of the nation's 2m volunteer blood donors might drop out with the introduction of a test for the fatal variant CJD, which is expected to become available in the near future.

http://society.guardian.co.uk/

Ringer S. Journal of Physiology 1884;5:98-115

Composition of Common Fluids Electrolytes (mmol/L)

NS LR Hextend®

Na + 154 130 143

K + 0 4.0 3

Ca ++ 0 2.7 5

Mg ++ 0 0 0.9

Cl - 154 109 124

Lactate - 0 28 28

n=7000

Micrcirculation at sea level and 6,500 m