Past Tranfusions Determine Aids Safety Factor

October 09, 1985|By G. Timothy Johnson, M.D.

Dear Dr. Johnson: Given the new screening test for blood to detect AIDS, can we assume that a blood transfusion is safe?

Health authorities are very impressed with the effectiveness of the screening test for evidence of exposure to the AIDS virus as applied to blood transfusion specimens. They believe it will virtually assure the safety of future blood transfusions.

However, individuals who have received blood transfusions in the past may have contracted the AIDS virus via such transfusions even though they have not yet developed the disease. Therefore, given the long incubation period of the virus, some of these individuals may still develop AIDS that could be traced to blood transfusions.

Therefore, individuals who received blood transfusions in the past cannot be totally unconcerned about the possibility of developing AIDS, but individuals receiving blood transfusions in the future should be largely reassured that the blood they receive will not contain the AIDS virus.

Dear Dr. Johnson: Does oat bran have unique properties in terms of lowering cholesterol when compared to other forms of bran or fiber?

Many studies now suggest that oat bran does, in fact, have some increased ability to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood--at least as compared to other sources of bran or fiber. Therefore, many nutritionists are recommending regular doses of oatmeal or oat bran muffins as an adjunct to lowering cholesterol in individuals with elevated levels in their blood.

Dear Dr. Johnson: Have you heard about using lasers instead of a knife for breast surgery? If so, what do you think of it?

I have indeed heard of surgeons who promote the use of the laser versus the scalpel for breast surgery. My understanding is that at this point the technique is used by only a small percentage of physicians doing breast surgery and that many surgeons do not believe it is a great advantage. However, in truth we still have no definitive studies comparing laser surgery with regular surgery, and I personally believe we should be open to this new method of conducting breast surgery.

Dear Readers: In this year, the worst on record for air disasters, it is worth remembering a comparative statistic offered by the American Lung Association: The annual number of premature deaths due to smoking in the U.S. is equivalent to 920 fully loaded 747 jumbo jets crashing. That`s 350,000 people each year.

Dear Dr. Johnson: Why are stomach ulcers thought to be more serious than intestinal ulcers?

Ulcers which occur in the stomach--so-called gastric ulcers--have a higher chance of being malignant than do ulcers that occur in the intestine

--so-called duodenal ulcers, which typically occur in the first part of the small intestine known as the duodenum.

In fact, duodenal or intestinal ulcers are virtually never cancerous. Therefore, when a stomach ulcer is discovered, it may be necessary to study it more aggressively.