Jehovah's Witnesses: Witnesses

Red Blood Cells Dept: In fact, Jehovah's Witnesses spent less time in hospital and in intensive care, on average, and weren't as likely to need a further operation as a result of bleeding problems compared to other patients, according to the study released Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, according to CBC. During heart surgery, patients are sometimes given a transfusion of red blood cells to prevent anemia. For Jehovah's Witnesses, the strategy may focus on giving them certain vitamins and iron so their red blood cell counts don't get too low during a procedure. Slightly fewer Witnesses died in hospital Jehovah's Witnesses, whose religious beliefs prohibit them from having blood transfusions, had fewer complications and shorter hospital stays than other heart patients who had transfusions for surgery over a 28-year period at Cleveland Clinic, a new study concludes. "Current extreme blood management strategies do not appear to place patients at heightened risk for reduced long-term survival," says the study, which was led by Dr. Gregory Pattakos. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.