How Precious Blood Is

Experiments with blood transfusions, the transfer of blood or blood components into a person's blood stream, have been carried out for hundreds of years. Many patients have died and it was not until 1901, when the Austrian Karl Landsteiner discovered human blood groups, that blood transfusions became safer.

Mixing blood from two individuals can lead to blood clumping or agglutination. The clumped red cells can crack and cause toxic reactions. This can have fatal consequences. Karl Landsteiner discovered that blood clumping was an immunological reaction which occurs when the receiver of a blood transfusion has antibodies against the donor blood cells.

Karl Landsteiner's work made it possible to determine blood groups and thus paved the way for blood transfusions to be carried out safely. For this discovery he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1930.

An adult human has about 4–6 liters of blood circulating in the body. Among other things, blood transports oxygen to various parts of the body.
Blood consists of several types of cells floating around in a fluid called plasma.

The red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that binds oxygen. Red blood cells transport oxygen to, and remove carbon dioxide from, the body tissues.

The white blood cells fight infection.

The platelets help the blood to clot, if you get a wound for example.

The plasma contains salts and various kinds of proteins.

The differences in human blood are due to the presence or absence of certain protein molecules called antigens and antibodies. The antigens are located on the surface of the red blood cells and the antibodies are in the blood plasma. Individuals have different types and combinations of these molecules. The blood group you belong to depends on what you have inherited from your parents.

There are more than 20 genetically determined blood group systems known today, but the AB0 and Rh systems are the most important ones used for blood transfusions. Not all blood groups are compatible with each other. Mixing incompatible blood groups leads to blood clumping or agglutination, which is dangerous for individuals.
Nobel Laureate Karl Landsteiner was involved in the discovery of both the AB0 and Rh blood groups.

According to the AB0 blood group system, there are four different kinds of blood groups: A, B, AB or 0 (null).

Blood group A
If you belong to the blood group A, you have A antigens on the surface of your red blood cells and B antibodies in your blood plasma.

Blood group B
If you belong to the blood group B, you have B antigens on the surface of your red blood cells and A antibodies in your blood plasma.

Blood group AB
If you belong to the blood group AB, you have both A and B antigens on the surface of your red blood cells and no A or B antibodies at all in your blood plasma.

Blood group 0
If you belong to the blood group 0 (null), you have neither A or B antigens on the surface of your red blood cells but you have both A and B antibodies in your blood plasma.

Many people also have a so called Rh factor on the red blood cell's surface. This is also an antigen and those who have it are called Rh+. Those who haven't are called Rh-. A person with Rh- blood does not have Rh antibodies naturally in the blood plasma (as one can have A or B antibodies, for instance).

But a person with Rh- blood can develop Rh antibodies in the blood plasma if he or she receives blood from a person with Rh+ blood, whose Rh antigens can trigger the production of Rh antibodies. A person with Rh+ blood can receive blood from a person with Rh- blood without any problems.

People with blood group 0 Rh - are called "universal donors" and people with blood group AB Rh+ are called "universal receivers."
Rh+ blood can never be given to someone with Rh - blood, but the other way around works. For example, 0 Rh+ blood can not be given to someone with the blood type AB Rh -.

Of course you can always give A blood to persons with blood group A, B blood to a person with blood group B and so on. But in some cases you can receive blood with another type of blood group, or donate blood to a person with another kind of blood group.

The transfusion will work if a person who is going to receive blood has a blood group that doesn't have any antibodies against the donor blood's antigens. But if a person who is going to receive blood has antibodies matching the donor blood's antigens, the red blood cells in the donated blood will clump.

Chlorine Poisoning

Chlorine (Cl2) is produced commercially by electrolysis of sodium chloride brine. Chlorine is used in industry and in household cleaning products. Chlorine was also the first poison gas to be used as a weapon during World War I.

Some of the chemical/physical properties of chlorine include:
•Chlorine is a yellow-green gas at room temperature.
•Chlorine has a pungent, irritating odor similar to bleach that is detectable at low concentrations.
•The density of chlorine gas is approximately 2.5 times greater than air, which will cause it to initially remain near the ground in areas with little air movement.
•Chlorine is not flammable, but may react explosively or form explosive compounds with many common substances (including acetylene, ether, turpentine, ammonia, natural gas, hydrogen, and finely divided metals).
•Chlorine is slightly water soluble, and reacts with moisture to form hypochlorous acid (HClO) and hydrochloric acid (HCl).
•Chlorine is commonly pressurized and cooled for storage and shipment as an amber-colored liquid.
•Chlorine is a chemical that prevents bacteria from growing. Chlorine poisoning occurs when someone swallows or breathes in (inhales) chlorine.
Chlorine, which reacts with water in and out of the body to form hydrochloric acid and hypochlorous acid. Both are extremely poisonous.

Chlorine is found in:

•Gas released when mixing bleach with some of the powdered cleansing products and ammonia (chloramine gas)
•Gas released when opening a partially filled industrial container of chlorine tablets that have been sitting for several months (for example, the first opening of a container after a pool has been closed all winter)
•Mild cleaners
•Some bleach products
•Swimming pool water (and tablets used in swimming pool water)

Symptoms of poisoning:
•Airways and lungs
o Breathing difficulty (from breathing in the chlorine)
o Throat swelling (may also cause breathing difficulty)
o Water filling the lungs (pulmonary edema)
•Blood
o Severe change in acid levels of the blood (pH balance) which leads to damage in all of the body organs
• Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
o Loss of vision
o Severe pain in the throat
o Severe pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongue
•Gastrointestinal
o Blood in the stool
o Burns of the food pipe (esophagus)
o Severe abdominal pain
o Vomiting
o Vomiting blood
•Heart and blood vessels
o Collapse
o Low blood pressure that develops rapidly
•Skin
o Burns
o Holes (necrosis) in the skin or tissues underneath
o Irritation


Home Care
Seek immediate medical help. Do NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care professional.

If the chemical is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.

If the chemical was swallowed, immediately give the person water or milk, unless instructed otherwise by a health care provider. Do NOT give water or milk if the patient is having symptoms (such as vomiting, convulsions, or a decreased level of alertness) that make it hard to swallow.

If the person breathed in the poison, immediately move him or her to fresh air.

Islamic Story 10: Success in this life and the Hereafter depends on your Correct Decisions

Prophet Dawood (as) was a prophet of Allah (swt) and a king. He had nineteen sons and every one of them wanted to inherit his throne. He agreed with one of his wives to nominate their eldest son to the throne. Allah (swt) commanded him not to appoint anyone, but to wait for His order.

One day, he was asked to decide in a dispute between Elia, who was a cultivator, and his neighbor, Yohanna, who was a herdsman. Elia complained that the sheep belonging to Yohanna had grazed in his cornfield and had eaten the vegetables, causing him a great loss. Yohanna admitted that it had happened at night while he was asleep. By the command of Allah (swt), Prophet Dawood (as) called all his sons and told them that whoever decided the case correctly, would become his heir.

Sulayman / Solomon (as), who was the youngest son, ruled that Yohanna would have to surrender to Elia the milk and the wool that he would obtain from his sheep during that year. Prophet Dawood (as) asked him how he had decided in this manner.

Sulayman (as) replied, "The sheep did not eat the plants, but only the fruits; thus only the produce from the sheep should make up for the loss."

Allah (swt) informed the Prophet Dawood (as) that the ruling given by Sulayman (as) was the best and he should be made his heir. Dawood (as) gathered all his sons in the presence of the learned people and chiefs of tribes and declared, by Allah's command, Sulayman (as) to be a prophet of Allah (swt) and his heir to the throne.
Prophet Dawood (as) died and Sulayman (as) became a king at the age of thirteen.

Tudung UMNO.......??????

Minggu lepas saya sempat terbaca beberapa tulisan dalam laman web yang pada saya ianya ibarat sindiran sekaligus ajakan kepada seseorang yang berprofail tinggi untuk memakai hijab, dalam hal ini tudung kepala. Amat disayangkan ada pula yang seakan mempersendakan ajakan ke arah kebaikan berkenaan dengan menyatakan bahwa apabila beliau bertudung kepala, "dikuatiri" ramai yang akan melabelnya sebagai tudung UMNO.

Lama saya pikirkan maksudnya. Pada saya benda ni terlalu remeh nak diperkatakan,tapi adalah satu kesilapan apabila kita tidak membaiki persepsi masyarakat mengenai nilai sebuah tudung kepala. Kalau dalam dunia politik, anda nak "berpecah', mengikut haluan masing-masing, itu saya tak kisah, tapi kalau bab Islam dan pelaksanaanya, jika ianya kerap sangat dipersendakan oleh sesama Muslim sendiri, bimbanglah pula saya, kita semua, hatta yang tak berdosa, terkena "adzab" Nya.

Pada saya, secara pribadi,prinsipnya senang sahaja:
berselendang kepala, lebih baik dari tidak menutup kepala sama sekali.
bertudung kecil, lebih baik dari sekedar berselendang kepala
bertudung labuh, lebih baik dari sekedar bertudung kecil
demikian seterusnya.

Meski ajaran Islam syamil dan kamil sifatnya, tapi dalam pelaksanaannya , tidak boleh terlalu dipaksa-paksakan, selagi dalam batasan yang fitrah. Ertinya, ada hukum hakam yang patut disegerakan, ada juga hukum hakam yang pelaksanaanya bertahap, termasuklah dalam pemakaian tudung kepala ini.

Sepatutnya tidak timbul istilah tudung UMNO atau tudung PAS dek kerana pandangan politik yang berbeza. Hukum Islam hendaklah dipandang dari sudut pandang sebagai seorang Muslim dan bukan sebagai pengamal atau pengikut mana-mana parti politik. Labuh atau tidak, tidaklah menjadi suatu kesalahan 'fatal', yang penting seseorang itu telah pun "berjinak-jinak' dengan hukum Islam.Di kemudian hari, barulah kita perbetulkan, perkemaskan kembali adab berpakaiannya sedikit demi sedikit, agar tidak timbul pula anggapan bahwa Islam itu "terlalu senang' sehingga boleh "dipijak-pijak".

Kerana itu apapun ajakan atau seruan ke arah kebaikan hendaklah kita sambut dengan serta merta. Jangan kerana marahkan nyamuk, kelambu yang dibakar. Sedangkan Tuhan Maha Pengampun dan Maha Penyayang, mengapa pula insan lemah seperti kita hendak berlagak menghakimi orang lain pula. Mari renung-renungkan. Wallahu'alam.

Happy Birthday Ya Rasulullah.....

Terkenang saya dengan masa kanak-kanak dulu. Ibunda tercinta selalu meraikan hari jadi kami adik beradik dengan membuat hidangan istimewa. Kek hari jadi, nasi kuning plus lauk pauk yang sedap belaka akan beliau buat sendiri. Selalunya sebelum meniup lilin pada kek hari jadi, kami sekeluarga akan sama-sama menyanyikan lagu Happy Birthday dan menadah tangan membaca seuntai doa dipimpin oleh ayahanda tercinta. Lepas tu, tunggu apalagi, makanlah kami sepuasnya.

Semakin bertambah usia kami, semakin banyak pengalaman yang kami dapat. Mula dari sekedar turut menghadiri majelis hari jadi jiran tetangga, teman sekolah, hinggalah standing party ala "orang berduit".

Seiring masa berlalu, makin banyak pula feed back yang kami perolehi.
Ada yang kata...party hari lahir itu haram, sebab Rasul pun tak pernah meraikan dan tak pernah mengajak umatnya buat perkara tu.
Ada yang kata....daripada buat party, perhabis duit, elok berpuasa sunat....
Ada yang kata.....tiup lilin dan menyanyikan lagu happy birhtday (tak kiralah dlm bahasa apapun) sama dengan perangai yahudi dan nasrani.
Ada yang kata....daripada potong kek ala mat saleh, elok buat nasi atau hidangan tempatan.
Ada yang kata.....standing party itu haram, pasal makan berdiri macam kambing.
Ada yang kata...haram buat party, sebab menggalakkan maksiat.
Dan...macam-macam lagi.

Ketika orang kita dok bahas boleh tak boleh buat party hari lahir,boleh tak boleh buat majelis maulidurrasul....kita seakan "bersetuju" dengan peringatan kelahiran atau kematian tokoh-tokoh terkenal dunia seperti lady Diana, Elvis Presley,terbaru...Michael Jackson. Dipuja kelahiran dan kematiannya oleh hampir sebahagian besar manusia di dunia ini, hatta kematian tokoh Hamas baru-baru ini pun turut dikenang, sebagai simbol kekejaman Israel.

Pada saya, tak kiralah kelahiran ataupun kematian, adalah wajar jika ianya kita jadikan sebagai satu ingatan. Untuk diri kita sendiri, untuk generasi anak-anak kita. Dalam setiap kelahiran dan kematian, mesti ada satu dua point yang patut menjadi iktibar bagi semua orang.

Mengikut pandangan sesetengah ulama' meraikan kelahiran Rasulullah SAW adalah satu bid'ah, tapi bid'ah hasanah. Pada saya secara pribadi, meski tak ada fatwa khas pun bab ini, kita sebagai muslim, pengikut Rasulullah SAW, sepatutnya lebih "beradab dan beretika".Kalau bukan kita, muslim, yang menghormati dan mengingat Beliau, pribadi teragung dan paling sempurna.....siapa lagi?

Bagaimana meraikan hari lahir Beliau, itu isu kedua. Dan rasanya semua muslim pun tahu bahwa apapun aktiviti yang hendak kita buat adalah wajib mengikut garis panduan Islam, aktiviti yang mengajak kita untuk lebih mendekatkan diri kepada Allah dan Rasul, bukan aktiviti yang menggalakkan maksiat.

Jadi tunggu apalagi.....Sholawat.......Allahumma sholli 'ala Muhammad wa ali Muhammad.....

Smokers, beware of Pneumothorax

A pneumothorax is a collection of free air in the chest outside the lung that causes the lung to collapse.

A collapsed lung may result from chest trauma, such as gunshot or knife wounds, rib fracture, or after certain medical procedures.

In some cases, a collapsed lung occurs without any cause. This is called a spontaneous pneumothorax. A small area in the lung that is filled with air, called a bleb, ruptures, and the air leaks into the space around the lung.

Certain activities may lead to a collapsed lung. These include scuba diving, smoking marijuana or cigarettes, high altitude hiking, and flying.Tall, thin people are more likely to a collapsed lung.

Lung diseases such as COPD,astma,cystic fibrosis,tuberculosis, and whooping cough also increase your risk for a collapsed lung.

There are 2 types of pneumothorax:
1. A spontaneous pneumothorax, also referred to as a primary pneumothorax, occurs in the absence of a traumatic injury to the chest or a known lung disease.
2. A secondary (also termed complicated) pneumothorax occurs as a result of an underlying condition.

Spontaneous pneumothorax is caused by a rupture of a cyst or a small sac (bleb) on the surface of the lung. Pneumothorax may also occur following an injury to the chest wall such as a fractured rib, any penetrating injury (gun shot or stabbing), surgical invasion of the chest, or may be deliberately induced in order to collapse the lung.

In some instances, the lung continues to leak air into the chest cavity and results in compression of the chest structures, including vessels that return blood to the heart. This is referred to as a tension pneumothorax and can be fatal if not treated immediately.

Symptoms of a pneumothorax include chest pain that usually has a sudden onset. The pain is sharp and may lead to feelings of tightness in the chest. Shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, cough, and fatifue are other symptoms of pneumothorax. The skin may develop a bluish color (termed cyanosis) due to decreases in blood oxygen levels.

Examination of the chest with a stethoscope reveals decreased or absent breath sounds over the affected lung. The diagnosis is confirmed by chest x-ray.

A small pneumothorax without underlying lung disease may resolve on its own in one to two weeks. A larger pneumothorax and a pneumothorax associated with underlying lung disease often require aspiration of the free air and/or placement of a chest tube to evacuate the air.

Possible complications of chest tube insertion include pain, infection of the space between the lung and chest wall (the pleural space), hemorrhage (bleeding), fluid accumulation in the lung, and low blood pressure (hypotension). In some cases, the leak does not close on its own. This is called a bronchopleural fistula, and may require chest surgery to repair the hole in the lung.

There is no known way to prevent a collapsed lung, but you can decrease your risk by not smoking.

Budaya Pemakanan Kita

"Macam mana boleh masuk World Cup...tengok badan je boleh tau...."Itu antara ungkapan kesal guru sukan saya dulu. Bukan bermaksud menyakiti mana-mana pihak, tapi apa yang beliau katakan ada benarnya. Belum pun satu-satu acara sukan bermula, apabila nak dibanding-bandingkan postur badan peserta,hm....malu alah dibuatnya....meski tak selalu orang yang berbadan besar akan menjadi johan, tapi itu antara kelebihan fizikal yang dimiliki pihak lawan.Ambil contoh, basketball. Boleh anda bayangkan jika wakil dari NBA turun padang melawan orang kita yang tinggi badan pun ....maaf-maaf....bahu depa pun tak sampai. Itu belum kira lagi dengan panjang tangan depa. Tak payah melompat pun, senang-senang boleh masukkan bola dalam kerajang.

Satu ketika dulu,diakui atau tidak, kita kerap merendahkan orang Jepun dengan ungkapan..."ala, Jepun, tinggi semampai (=semeter pun tak sampai)....atau Jepun pendek...macam ayam katek... dan lain-lain ungkapan untuk menunjukkan betapa ketinggian badan mereka secara am nya pada masa itu, boleh dikatakan tak padan dengan perangai kejamnya ketika Perang Dunia Kedua. Tapi tengoklah sekarang, generasi mudanya boleh dikatakan paling rendah pun 170 cm, satu standard ketinggian badan yang agak jarang untuk masyarakat Indonesia dan Malaysia.Bagi para pesukannya pula, bahkan ada yang lebih dari 180 cm.

Pernah dengar istilah ini: "orang kita makan ikut rasa, orang putih makan ikut khasiat". Maksudnya, orang kita suka makan yang sedap-sedap, tak kisah lah samada berkhasiat atau tidak, berbahaya atau tidak jika dikonsumsi secara berlebihan, janji sedap di lidah, kenyang di perut...itu yang dimakan. Tapi orang putih, apa yang mereka makan pula, kebanyakannya tak sedap di lidah, nak dikata mengenyangkan pun tidak, tapi khasiatnya untuk kesihatan luar biasa. Tapi ingat, yang saya maksudkan di sini bukanlah makanan orang putih yang mengandungi ham, pork, wine atau bahan haram lainnya. Yang nak saya jadikan contoh di sini adalah salad buah-buahan atau sayur-sayuran yang selalunya dihidangkan dengan sos mayonis atau sos thousand island atau minyak zaitun.

"Orang kita besak ke tepi, orang putih besak ke atas". Istilah ini membawa maksud: orang kita gemuk, orang putih tinggi belaka. Janganlah terasa hati pula ...saya meminjam istilah ini sekedar untuk memberi gambaran bahwa apa yang kita makan, pada akhirnya nampak pada keadaan luaran kita, keadaan fizikal kita. Meski tak semua orang putih itu tinggi belaka dan tak ramai orang kita yang mengalami kegemukan, point nya adalah bahawa apapun yang kita makan sedikit sebanyak akan mempengaruhi kualitas kehidupan kita. Boleh anda bayangkan seseorang yang terlalu banyak mengkonsumsi gula, tentu pada akhirnya akan menghidapi diabetes atau sejenisnya. Orang yang terlalu banyak mengkonsumsi makanan berlemak pula, adalah sangat mungkin terkena darah tinggi, sakit jantung, obesiti dan lain-lain penyakit sejenis.

Itu jika pemakanan dipandang dari sudut kesannya secara luaran. Bagi perkembangan minda dan otak pula, terutama anak-anak kita, adalah sangat mustahak untuk memastikan mereka mengkonsumsi makanan yang bukan sahaja halalan toyyiban, tapi juga boleh merangsang dan meningkatkan semangat dan daya saing minda dan tubuh badannya dalam aktiviti seharian terutamanya dalam aktiviti pembelajaran. Adalah sangat dikesali, ketika sesi sekolah pada waktu pagi baru nak bermula, ramai para siswa yang sudah menunjukkan tanda-tanda letih dan mengantuk serta kurang bersemangat dek kerana kekenyangan atau mengkonsumsi makanan yang terlalu berat.

Jika kita inginkan generasi muda kita, generasi pelapis kita adalah generasi yang cemerlang, maka adalah patut kita mengubah budaya pemakanan kita ke arah budaya pemakanan yang bukan sahaja halalan toyyiban, tapi juga menyehatkan dan mencergaskan tubuh badan dan minda. Saya memahami bahwa ianya bukan perkara mudah, kerana itu, tunggu apalagi, mari kita mulakan dari sekarang.Wallahu'alam.