Background
According to the latest figures from 2019, there are currently over 8
million Jehovah’s Witnesses (hereafter referred to as Witness/Witnesses)
worldwide, spread across 240 countries1. Whilst only
equating to 0.1% of the world’s population, this unique sub-set of
patients provides a distinctive challenge to medical professionals, due
to their firmly held beliefs regarding blood transfusion and the use of
blood products2,3. The basic principle of these
beliefs is the refusal of both blood transfusion and blood products due
to interpretations made from the Bible, Genesis 9:4 and Acts
15:28-292,4. The abridged quote from the Acts reads
that individuals must “abstain…from blood”, and is just one
quote which helps to formulate Witnesses stance on blood
transfusions2,5. These interpretations of the Bible
were first formulated by a group of Bible students in Pennsylvania, and
through the dissemination of their work, the Witness following has grown
substantially1,6. The community now has its own
governing body, as well as ‘The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society’,
which aims to promote the societies views through use of
education7-10. Further to this, within the UK there
are Hospital Liaison Committees for Jehovah’s Witnesses, which can
provide support and advice to medical professionals11.
This is particularly important for clinicians to consider, as
prospective Witness patients present a complicated array of social,
legal and ethical challenges12. This is especially
true within the field of cardiac surgery and hence needs careful
consideration.