# Blood transfusion question (Is a call for donation a scam) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2019, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-transfusion-question-is-a-call-for-donation-a-scam/830989 "2019-03-12T06:24:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-transfusion-question-is-a-call-for-donation-a-scam/830989/1 "2019-03-12T06:24:16Z")
This particular tweet has been making the [rounds here](https://twitter.com/HummaSaif/status/1105173859009945601). I am no medical professional. But a couple of things seem off. i) A+ is one of the most common blood types right? ii) 70(!) bottles. I thought the average woman has only 4-5 litres of blood, total. What am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-transfusion-question-is-a-call-for-donation-a-scam/830989/2 "2019-03-12T06:43:37Z")
Yes, A+ is very common. How common will change with ethnic group and therefore by location but it’s not rare at all. Blood isn’t measured in “bottles” (which size bottle, anyway? 5mL, 2L?); not even in “bags”, which is the actual type of container used. And while someone may need not whole blood but a specific extract which requires more than one liter to make one dose, several of those are actually blood-group independant. I don’t know if it’s a scam or a honest series of mistakes, but it’s definitely not the kind of thing you usually see from actual blood banks and hospitals. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-transfusion-question-is-a-call-for-donation-a-scam/830989/3 "2019-03-12T07:37:33Z")
I _have_ seen extra donations requested from established donors that are geographically close to a specific patient before\*, but I’d be surprised if calling that number didn’t lead to a suggestion to donate cash, instead. \*it can be useful to keep the number of donors to a minimum in some cases. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-transfusion-question-is-a-call-for-donation-a-scam/830989/4 "2019-03-12T09:20:04Z")
Approximately 1/3 of the population overall has type A+. The “plasma transplant” wording is suspicious. I guess she means plasma exchange (or plasmapheresis). In any case, blood type does not matter if we’re talking plasma. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-transfusion-question-is-a-call-for-donation-a-scam/830989/5 "2019-03-12T20:59:22Z")
If plasma exchange/plasmapheresis is planned, then yes, the plasma product (i.e. FFP, or fresh frozen plasma) should be ABO compatible, to avoid hemolysis of red blood cells in the recipient due to antibodies in the plasma. I don’t know if plasma comes in bottles in Lahore. Maybe there’s a language problem here. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-transfusion-question-is-a-call-for-donation-a-scam/830989/6 "2019-03-12T21:23:22Z")
Looks like the message was written by the family of the patient, and the poster wasn’t comfortable changing it. ---
**Author:** ![LiliesOfTheField](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@LiliesOfTheField](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiliesOfTheField)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-transfusion-question-is-a-call-for-donation-a-scam/830989/7 "2019-03-14T00:00:48Z")
I don’t know how to tell if that is a scam, but here is a book excerpt about how blood donation works in India and some of the challenges they face. Some anecdotes are a bit disturbing, but nothing more graphic than you would read in a newspaper. > **[Book Excerpt: Exposing India's Blood Farmers](https://www.wired.com/2011/06/red-market-excerpt/)** > > A few days before the Indian celebration of Holi, an emaciated man with graying skin, drooping eyes, and rows of purple needle marks on both arms stumbled up to a group of farmers in the sweltering Indian border town of Gorakhpur. The city is the... ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-transfusion-question-is-a-call-for-donation-a-scam/830989/8 "2019-03-14T00:41:45Z")
If you Google [Dr. Humma Saeef](https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&rlz=1C1FLDB_enUS562US562&q=Dr+Humma+Saeef&nfpr=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi3_8bVsYDhAhURpoMKHWC_D1MQvgUILCgB&cshid=1552523890835305&biw=1600&bih=757), she seems to be passionate about a lot of things. I can’t tell what she’s a doctor of, but it doesn’t look like medicine.