What happens if a Jehovah's Witness needs a blood transfusion?

A medical practitioner should inform the parent(s) of Jehovah's Witness children that whilst he/she will try to respect their religious views, if a blood transfusion is required to save the child's life, or prevent severe harm, it will be administered without their consent, unless they obtain a court order prohibiting ...

What happens if a Jehovah's Witness gets a blood transfusion?

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that a human must not sustain his life with another creature's blood, and they recognize no distinction "between taking blood into the mouth and taking it into the blood vessels." It is their deep-seated religious conviction that Jehovah will turn his back on anyone who receives blood ...

What can you give Jehovah Witness instead of blood?

Multiple transfusion alternatives have been developed, and many are generally acceptable to a Jehovah's Witness patient, including tranexamic acid, prothrombin complex concentrate, and fibrin glue.

Can Jehovah Witnesses give blood in emergency?

Jehovah's Witnesses' literature teaches that their refusal of transfusions of whole blood or its four primary components—red cells, white cells, platelets and plasma—is a non-negotiable religious stand and that those who respect life as a gift from God do not try to sustain life by taking in blood, even in an emergency ...

Can a Jehovah Witness be forced blood transfusion?

Jehovah's Witnesses refuse transfusions of whole blood, of red and white corpuscles, platelets and plasma. They also refuse both natural and recombinant haemoglobin, although positions differ among them regarding blood-derived products such as albumin, immunoglobulin and coagulation factors.

Jehovah's Witness Receives Blood Cancer Treatment Without Transfusion

Can you refuse a blood transfusion?

You can refuse a transfusion, but you should know the risks and consequences. You'll need to discuss this option with your healthcare provider. If you choose to refuse the transfusion, you could face permanent disability or loss of life. Blood transfusions may worry people or make them feel anxious.

Do Jehovah Witnesses accept chemotherapy?

Jehovah's Witness oncology patients will accept virtually all medical treatments. When patients refuse transfusion of blood and blood components, physicians need to discuss the risks associated with that refusal, as well as the potential alternatives to standard blood transfusion.

Can a Jehovah Witness refuse blood for their child?

In the case of Jehovah's Witness parents' refusal of blood transfusion for their child, health professionals “must take the consideration as valid that nobody can be deprived of life by their own parents” and can therefore ask immediately for the ordinance of judicial authority to authorize the transfusion [5].

Do Jehovah Witnesses accept medical treatment?

Jehovah's Witnesses accept medial and surgical treatment. They do not adhere to so-called “faith healing” and are not opposed to the practice of medicine.

Can Jehovah Witnesses receive organ transplants?

Abstract. Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions but accept solid organ transplants.

How do Jehovah's Witnesses treat anemia?

The use of erythropoietin-stimulating agents and intravenous iron has been shown to restore red blood cell and Hb levels in JW patients, although these effects may be significantly delayed.

Why can't Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate birthdays?

Practicing Jehovah's Witnesses "do not celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God" Even though "the Bible does not explicitly forbid celebrating birthdays," the reasoning lies in biblical ideas, according to an FAQ on the Jehovah's Witnesses' official website.

What do you do if a patient refuses a blood transfusion?

You should seek reliable evidence of an explicit decision to refuse the proposed transfusion, again, in the specific clinical circumstances that now prevail. A report that the patient had a 'general aversion' to blood transfusion is not enough.

Do Jehovah Witnesses have blood tests?

It is very important that parents, and adult patients, be enabled to make contact with their local Elder. BLOOD TESTS - Blood is usually seen by Jehovah Witnesses to represent life itself. Specimens must therefore be treated with respect, and disposed of with care.

What Jehovah Witness can and Cannot do?

Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas, birthdays, or any holidays with a pagan origin. They are also prohibited from entering into what they consider unclean practices such as receiving blood transfusions, and entering military service is prohibited.

What do you say to a Jehovah's Witness when someone dies?

What to say to a Jehovah's Witness when someone dies? Don't be afraid of saying the wrong thing to a grieving Jehovah's Witness. As long as you avoid overly pagan statements such as “they are in God's hands” or “your loved one is in Heaven now”, then a comforting general statement will be received well.

Do Jehovah Witnesses believe in abortion?

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that life begins at conception, and that all life is sacred - thus believing that abortion is tantamount to murder. They believe that deliberately inducing an abortion for the "sole purpose of which is to avoid the birth of an unwanted child" is an "act of high crime" in the eyes of God.

Are Jehovah Witnesses allowed to drink alcohol?

Jehovah's Witnesses reject foods containing blood but have no other special dietary requirements. Some Jehovah's Witnesses may be vegetarian and others may abstain from alcohol, but this is a personal choice.

Do Jehovah Witnesses go to the hospital?

Jehovah's Witnesses love life and do whatever is reasonable in order to prolong it. Hence, they seek quality health care and accept the vast majority of medical treatments. However, for Bible-based religious reasons, Jehovah's Witnesses do not accept allogeneic blood transfusion.

What happens if a Jehovah Witness breaks a rule?

All members are expected to abide by the beliefs and moral standards of Jehovah's Witnesses. Serious violations of these requirements can result in disfellowshipping (similar to excommunication) and subsequent shunning if not deemed repentant.

Do Jehovah Witnesses shun family?

Shunning — known as disfellowship among Jehovah's Witness — is a punishment implemented by a panel of elders and calls on all other members of the congregation to reject the person both socially and emotionally, even if they are a family member.

Why do Jehovahs Witness not vote?

They believe Jesus' refusal to rule the kingdoms of the world as offered by the Devil, his refusal to be made king of Israel by the Jews, and his statements that he, his followers, and his kingdom are not part of the world, provide the bases for not being involved in politics or government.

Can Jehovah's Witness do dialysis?

Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions, including autologous transfusions in which a person has their own blood stored to be used later in a medical procedure, (though some Witnesses will accept autologous procedures such as dialysis or cell salvage in which their blood is not stored) and the use of packed RBCs ...

Can Jehovah Witness receive fresh frozen plasma?

Jehovah's Witnesses generally refuse transfusion of allogeneic and autologous whole blood, pRBCs, platelets, fresh frozen plasma, and white blood cells due to an interpretation by their governing body that use of whole blood or major blood components is prohibited by passages in the Old Testament.

Can Jehovah Witnesses have stem cell transplant?

Findings: With proper preventive and supportive care measures, Jehovah's Witness patients can receive stem cell transplantations for hematologic malignancies without blood product transfusions.