SAVE A LIFE

DONATE BLOOD AND SAVE A LIFE

How much blood is donated each year?
About 130 million units (including approximately 3 million autologous donations) of whole blood are donated all over the world each year. Approximately 50 million volunteer blood donors provide blood for about 27 million patients per year.

Typically, each donated unit of blood, referred to as whole blood, is separated into multiple components, such as red blood cells, plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipitate AHF (anti-hemophilic factor). Each component generally is transfused to a different individual, each with different needs.

Who needs blood?
The need for blood is great — on any given day, an average of 3.4 million units of red blood cells are needed. Blood transfusions often are needed for trauma victims — due to accidents and burns — heart surgery, organ transplants, and patients receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or other diseases, such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia. In 1999, 2.650 billion units of blood components were transfused. And with an ageing population and advances in medical treatments and procedures requiring blood transfusions, the demand for blood continues to increase.

Who donates blood?
Fewer than 5 percent of healthy eligible to donate blood actually donate each year. According to studies, the average donor is a college-educated male, between the ages of 30 and 50, who is married and has an above-average income. However, a broad cross-section of the population donates every day. Furthermore, these “average” statistics are changing, and women and many groups are volunteering in increasing numbers to donate. Using current screening and donation procedures, a growing number of blood banks have found blood donation by seniors to be safe and practical.

Patients scheduled for surgery may be eligible to donate blood for themselves, a process known as autologous blood donation. In the weeks before non-emergency surgery, an autologous donor may be able to donate blood that will be stored until the surgical procedure.

What are the criteria for blood donation?
To be eligible to donate blood, a person must be in good health and generally must be at least 17 years of age (although some states permit younger people, with parental consent, to donate). Minimum weight requirements may vary among facilities, but generally, donors must weigh approximately 100 pounds. Most blood banks have no upper age limit. All donors must pass the physical and health history examinations given prior to donation.

Volunteer donors provide nearly all blood used for transfusion. The donor’s body replenishes the fluid lost from donation in 24 hours. It may take up to two months to replace the lost red blood cells. Whole blood can be donated once every eight weeks (56 days). Two units of red blood cells can be donated at one time, using a process known as red cell apheresis. This type of donation can be made every 16 weeks.

Who should not donate blood?

• Anyone who has ever used intravenous drugs (illegal IV drugs)
• Men who have had sexual contact with other men since 1977
• Hemophiliacs
• Anyone with a positive antibody test for HIV (AIDS virus)
• Men and women who have engaged in sex for money or drugs since 1977
• Anyone who has had hepatitis since his or her eleventh birthday
• Anyone who has/has had cancer
• Anyone who has had babesiosis or chagas disease
• Anyone who has taken Tegison for psoriasis
• Anyone with Crueutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) or who has an immediate family member with CJD

Where is blood donated?
There are many places where blood donations can be made. People can donate at community blood centers and hospital-based donor centers. Many people donate at blood drives at their places of work.

What is Apheresis?
Apheresis, an increasingly common procedure, is the process of removing a specific component of the blood, such as platelets, and returning the remaining components, such as red blood cells and plasma, to the donor. This process allows more of one particular part of the blood to be collected than could be separated from a unit of whole blood. Apheresis is also performed to collect red blood cells, plasma (liquid part of the blood), and granulocytes (white blood cells).

The apheresis donation procedure takes longer than whole blood donation. A whole blood donation takes about 10-20 minutes to collect the blood, while an apheresis donation may take about one to two hours.

What is the most common blood type?
The approximate distribution of blood types is as follows. Distribution may be different for specific racial and ethnic groups:

In an emergency, anyone can receive type O red blood cells, and type AB individuals can receive red blood cells of any ABO type. Therefore, people with type O blood are known as “universal donors” and those with type AB blood are known as “universal recipients.” In addition, AB plasma donors can give to all blood types.

What tests are performed on donated blood?
After blood is drawn, it is tested for ABO group (blood type) and Rh type (positive or negative), as well as for any unexpected red blood cell antibodies that may cause problems in the recipient. Screening tests are also performed for evidence of donor infection with hepatitis viruses B and C, human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) 1 and 2, human T-lymphotropic viruses (HTLV) I and II and syphilis.

How is blood stored and used?
Each unit of whole blood normally is separated into several components. Red blood cells may be stored under refrigeration for a maximum of 42 days, or they may be frozen for up to 10 years. Red cells carry oxygen and are used to treat anemia. Platelets are important in the control of bleeding and are generally used in patients with leukemia and other forms of cancer. Platelets are stored at room temperature and may be kept for a maximum of five days. Fresh frozen plasma, used to control bleeding due to low levels of some clotting factors, is usually kept in a frozen state for up to one year. Cryoprecipitated AHF, which contains only a few specific clotting factors, is made from fresh frozen plasma and may be stored frozen for up to one year. Granulocytes are sometimes used to fight infections, although their efficacy is not well established. They must be transfused within 24 hours of donation.

Other products manufactured from blood include albumin, immune globulin, specific immune globulins, and clotting factor concentrates. Commercial manufacturers commonly make these blood products.

Be ready to save a life: If you are ready to donate blood, please register your name with Mr. Naseer 050-7138138.

If any one requires blood in emergency for operation please contact:
Mr. K V Shamsudheen 050-6467801