Affordable medical devices needed to achieve #HealthForAll
07/04/2018PVC is there when blood is needed
14/06/201817 April marks 28th World Haemophilia Day, a day turning the spotlight on this rare bleeding disorder that affects approximately 1 out of 10,000 people in the world. Haemophilia is a bleeding disorder that slows the blood clotting process and can be treated by replacing missing blood clotting factors. Clotting factor concentrates can be made of blood plasma and aim at killing any potential viruses that might affect the plasma.
PVC: an essential material for safe blood transfusion
As any treatment that involves human blood, the plastic material PVC (or vinyl) is essential for the plasma-based treatment of haemophilia. PVC is the only material that can meet the strict requirements for blood containers and sets for blood transfusions. Blood transfusion sets are used to collect blood from donors and therefore play a key role to secure blood availability during surgical operations and medical emergencies, as well as for the long-term treatment of diseases. PVC’s unique characteristics such as resistance, flexibility and softness but also its cost-effectiveness make it the most commonly used material for blood transfusion.
Medical breakthroughs with PVC blood bags
The first time PVC blood bags proved their efficiency was during the Korean War where they replaced breakable glass containers. As a result, the lives of thousands of soldiers were saved. Since the 1950s, PVC blood containers and sets for blood transfusions have enabled several medical breakthroughs, not least in the treatment of haemophilia.