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On the Sept. 10 broadcast of Mayo Clinic Radio, co-hosts Tracy McCray and Tom Shives, M.D., spoke with Justin Kreuter, M.D., Medical Director of the Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center in Rochester, Minnesota, about the urgent need for blood donation.
Dr. Kreuter discusses the impact that Zika has had on blood donations and the need to pay attention to regulations to ensure the safest blood supply possible. In the near future, Mayo Clinic will be testing all blood units collected for the Zika virus. Currently, all donors are questioned about recent travel history to ensure patient safety.
According to Dr. Kreuter, “Patient safety is our primary concern. We want to make sure that not only the blood product that we are transfusing to patients is safe, but that it is also going to be clinically effective.”
Dr. Kreuter also discusses donor eligibility, including age requirements, travel history, and medical history. He encourages prospective donors to check with their local blood centers to review their policies prior to donation.
Listen to the Podcast
To listen to the interview, the radio segment with Dr. Kreuter begins at 10:58 and runs through 18:57. If you have time, the full show begins with psychiatrist Jeffrey Staab, M.D., explains the diagnosis and treatment of functional neurological disorders. Family medicine physician Elizabeth Cozine, M.D., has tips on foot care, and Heidi Nelson, M.D., talks about the importance of the human microbiome.
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