A bag of rare blood collected in Ceará traveled more than 2 thousand km for a transfusion in Juiz de Fora, held on Friday (9).
The 63-year-old patient needed the material after a kidney transplant. He has a rare blood type with antibodies against the Jsb antigen.
The national search identified only 6 compatible donors in the country. The order was sent on Wednesday (7), and collection was made in Ceará on Thursday (8).
The blood bag traveled in the cabin of a commercial plane to Confins. Then, he drove for almost 300 km to Juiz de Fora.
The action is part of a flow from the Ministry of Health with Anac and airlines. The project makes it possible to transport bags of rare blood on commercial flights.
A bag of blood collected in Ceará traveled more than 2 thousand kilometers until it reached a 63-year-old patient admitted to Santa Casa de Misericórdia in Juiz de Fora, in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais. The material traveled in the cabin of a commercial plane and then traveled by car to the hospital, where it was used in a transfusion on Friday afternoon (9).
The operation was necessary because patient Jorge Roberto dos Santos, who underwent a kidney transplant, needs a specific type of blood. The search for compatibility mobilized the national registry of rare donors, which identified only six possible donors throughout Brazil.
According to information from the hospital, the patient underwent a blood transfusion on Friday (9) and there were no problems during the procedure. This Saturday (10), he shows clinical improvement, maintaining a favorable evolution and continuing to recover. There is no forecast for an increase yet.
Why did the blood need to come from a specific donor?
The need for transfusion was identified during preparatory exams carried out by the team at the Santa Casa Transfusion Agency, which is a national reference in kidney transplantation.
The tests detected that Jorge's body produces antibodies against the Jsb antigen, a characteristic present on the surface of red blood cells.
As most people have this antigen, blood from these donors can provoke an immunological reaction in the patient. Therefore, he needs to receive a grant from someone whose red blood cells do not present this characteristic.
Compatibility does not only depend on the most well-known blood types, A, B, AB and O, and the Rh factor. Other antigens also need to be considered in certain transfusions, especially when tests identify antibodies that may react against the donor's red blood cells.
How was the donor found?
The request for compatible blood was sent to the Ministry of Health on Wednesday (7). The search reached the national registry of rare donors, which includes 2,032 people and identified six possible donors compatible with the patient.
The donor located in Ceará was contacted at 10pm on Wednesday and confirmed that he could make the donation. The following morning, the collection was done at the state blood center.
After collection, tests were repeated to confirm blood compatibility. Tests to detect diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C were also accelerated, steps necessary to verify the safety of material intended for transfusion.
How did the bag travel by plane?
After collection, the blood bag was prepared for transportation. At 6pm on Thursday (8), the material boarded a commercial plane, in the aircraft cabin, under the care of the pilot.
The bag was packed in thermal packaging prepared to maintain conservation conditions during transportation. The flight took the material to Confins Airport, in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, from where it continued the journey by land.
The final stretch, by car, covered almost 300 kilometers to Juiz de Fora. The bag arrived at Santa Casa on Friday (9), and the transfusion was carried out in the afternoon.
Agreement provides for transportation by plane
The transport is part of a collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) and airlines to facilitate the movement of rare blood bags on commercial flights.
The proposal is to expand a transport model that already includes organs intended for transplants, such as kidneys, liver, heart and lungs. The inclusion of rare blood bags seeks to facilitate patients' access to compatible materials that are not available in the region where they receive care.
In cases like Juiz de Fora, the possibility of transporting blood between states expands the scope of the search for donors and can enable transfusions that depend on infrequent blood characteristics.
