Donating Blood – You Must Know This!

 Before Blood Donation:

1. Your diet needs to contain high iron level which can be maintained by consuming iron rich foods like spinach, fish, red meat, poultry, raisins and iron-fortified cereals.
2. Taking proper sleep at night is a must.
3. You need to drink extra 16oz (or 2 glasses) of water and fluids prior to donating blood.
4. In case, you are donating platelets, check if your body is aspirin free for 2 days before the blood donation day.
5. Don’t forget to bring your donor card or any other form of identity card on the donation day.   

During Blood Donation:

1. Wear clothes with sleeves that can be raised above the elbow or simply wear sleeveless clothes.
2. Tell the phlebotomist about your preferred arm or good veins that have been used earlier for successful donations.
3. While the donation process starts relax, talk to the donors, listen to music or read a book to take your mind away from the activity.
4. After you finish donating blood, ensure you take some snack or drink some juice in the refreshment area.

After Blood Donation:

1. Since after blood donation your body is deficient of fluids, intake plenty of fruits or fruit juices over the next 24-48 hours.
2. Don’t perform strenuous physical activity like heavy weight lifting for at least 5-6 hours after donation. 
3. Lie down with feet elevated if you feel light headed, until you feel better.
4. If in case bleeding occurs after the bandage removal, apply pressure to the site and keep your arm raised for 3-5 minutes. If bleeding or bruising is seen under the skin, applying cold pack to the area regularly during the first 24 hours would be better. 
5. At last, enjoy the feeling which comes after donation that you might have saved as many as 3 people’s lives.

The gift of blood is the gift of life!

Medical technology has provided many life-saving discoveries but there is still no substitute for blood. In a medical emergency, the most important element is the availability of blood. The donated blood can help a variety of individuals: surgery patients, trauma victims, cancer patients, thalassemia patients, and individuals with anemia, premature babies and many more. Every year our nation requires about 5 Crore units of blood, out of which only a meager 2.5 Crore units of blood are available.

Who is eligible to Donate Blood?

Any healthy adult, both male and female, can donate blood, Men once in every three months and women every four months. The universally accepted criteria for donor selection are:

• Age between 18 and 65 years
• Hemoglobin: not less than 12.5 g/dL
• Pulse: between 50 and 100/minute with no irregularities
• Temperature: Normal (oral temperature not exceeding 37.5 DC)
• Body weight: not less than 46 Kg

What happens during blood donation?

Blood donation is a simple four-step process: registration, medical history and mini-physical, donation and refreshments.

• Your medical history is noted first
• A small sample of blood is collected to ensure you are not anemic
• The actual blood donation takes less than ten minutes

Does it hurts during blood donation?

There may be a little sting when the needle is inserted, which can be minimized by using a good quality needle but there should be no pain during the donation. The actual blood donation typically takes less than 10-12 minutes. 

How long will the body take to replenish the blood I donate?

The body will replace the blood volume (plasma) within 48 hours. It takes four to eight weeks to completely replace the red blood cells.

A healthy donor may donate red blood cells every 56 days, or double red cells every 112 days. A healthy donor may donate platelets as few as 7 days apart, but a maximum of 24 times a year.

What are the facts of blood components?

In modern medicine there is no room for whole blood. By making blood components the usage of blood can be optimized.

• Blood makes up about 7 percent of your body's weight.
• There are four types of transfusable products that can be derived from blood: red cells, platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate. Typically, two or three of these are produced from a unit of donated whole blood – hence each donation can help save up to three lives.
• Donors can give either whole blood or specific blood components only. The process of donating specific blood components – red cells, plasma or platelets – is called apheresis.
• One transfusion dose of platelets can be obtained through one apheresis donation of platelets or by combining the platelets derived from five whole blood donations.
• Donated platelets must be used within five days of collection.
• Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets. The body will replenish the elements given during a blood donation – some in a matter of hours and others in a matter of weeks.

Is the collected blood tested?

Yes every unit is tested for HIV (I and II) Virus (AIDS), Hepatitis B & C virus (Jaundice), Malaria parasite, Syphilis and also Blood groups.

What care should I take after donating blood?

• Eat and Drink something before leaving
• Drink more liquids than usual in next 4 hours
• Don't smoke for next 30 minutes
• Avoid strenuous work for the next 24 hours
• If there is bleeding from the phlebotomy site, raise the arm and apply pressure

What type of blood is needed the most?

O positive donors are needed more frequently than any other blood type. O positive is the most common blood type and most likely to be transfused. O negative donors are the “Universal Donor.” People with O negative blood are universal red blood cell donors.

How many people have O negative blood type?

Only 7 percent of people in the U.S. have O-negative blood type. O-negative blood type donors are universal donors as their blood can be given to people of all blood types. Type O-negative blood is needed in emergencies before the patient's blood type is known and with newborns who need blood.

How much is a pint of blood?

The average adult has about 10 pints of blood in his body. Roughly 1 pint is given during a donation. A healthy donor may donate red blood cells every 56 days, or double red cells every 112 days. A healthy donor may donate platelets as few as 7 days apart, but a maximum of 24 times a year.

What does it mean if your blood type is O positive?

If you fall into the O blood group, you have neither A nor B antigens on your red cells, but both A and B antibodies in your plasma. O positive is the most common blood type; O negative is the universal donor type, meaning those with this blood type can donate red blood cells to anybody.

So don’t wait just Donate!