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I don't remember seeing blood transfusions discussed previously on the list.
 
My celiac daughter has IgA deficiency. (Lab tests for the past 9 years have
always put her IgA at the bottom of the scale. The test used by the hospital
we're using now measures her IgA as "< 6.67".  I don't believe the test can
measure any closer to zero.)
 
A doctor once told us, "You know, because of her low IgA, she can never have
a blood transfusion." We checked this doctor's opinion with other medical
people and found his statement to be true. If our daughter needs whole blood,
it appears it would have to be specially matched for the rare IgA condition
(difficult), her own blood (donated in advance of surgery), or separated (so
it is no longer whole blood). We were left with the impression that a regular
blood transfusion would kill her.
 
What concerns me is that as we were researching the blood transfusion
subject, most doctors and other medical people were not aware that IgA
deficiency would have any bearing on ability to receive whole blood. (They
always wanted to know if she has lots of colds or respiratory infections --
no, she does not have lots of colds -- another mystery for another time.)
 
We have often asked doctors if our daughter should wear a medic alert
bracelet ("IgA deficient -- no whole blood unless specially matched"), but
doctors' answers are always ambivalent.
 
Does anyone have any experience with the unusual IgA deficiency condition
that would help with pros & cons of wearing a medic alert bracelet ??
 
After an automobile accident, should we expect emergency room personnel to
understand that IgA deficiency affects ability to receive whole blood ??
 
Rob
San Diego, CA