Blood Donation
Blood is the wonderful potion flowing through your body that can give life to another individual. Even with all the finest advances in medical sciences through research and technology, man has not been able to produce blood synthetically. In case of any medical emergency where an individual needs blood, the best and the only option is blood donation.
The demand for blood
- Though our country has a requirement of around 4 Crore units of blood, only a measly 40 Lakh units of blood is actually available for the needy.
- Someone needs blood every 2 seconds.
- O Type blood group is the blood type most commonly requested by hospitals.
- Throughout their lives, Sickle cell anemia patients need frequent blood transfusions.
- Around 100 units of blood are required for a single car accident victim.
Blood supply facts
- To patients of all possible blood types, O-Negative blood (red cells) can be transfused. Its demand is really high and supply is limited.
- To patients of all possible blood types, AB-positive plasma can be transfused. The supply of AB plasma is also often limited.
Blood donation process
- Donating blood is completely safe. For each donor, a sterile needle is used once and then it is discarded.
- A simple four step process is involved in blood donation: registration, medical history and mini-physical, donation and refreshments. A mini-physical is given to each blood donor and the donor's temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin are checked to make sure that it is safe for the donor to donate blood.
- Just around 10-12 minutes are taken for the actual blood donation. The entire process takes around an hour and 15 min, from the time you arrive to the time you leave.
- Around 10 units of blood, is present in the body of an average adult and about 1 unit of blood is usually donated.
- A healthy donor can donate red blood cells every 56 days and platelets can be donated 7 days apart with a maximum of 24 platelet transfusions in a year.
- Before the blood can be transfused to patients, the donated blood is tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and other infectious diseases.
Blood and blood components
- About 7 percent of your body weight is contributed by blood.
- Red cells, platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate are the four kinds of transmutable products that can be derived from blood.
- Either the whole blood or specific blood components can be donated by donors.
- Within five days of collection, donated platelets should be utilized.
- The elements donated during a blood donation will be replenished by the body. Certain elements are replenished in a few hours and others in a few weeks.
Donor facts
- The primary reason why donors give blood is because they “want to help others”.
- “Never thought about it” and “I don't like needles” are some of the most common reasons cited by people who haven't donated blood.
- From the age of 18-60, if you donate blood every 90 days, you would have donated around 30 gallons of blood that can save the lives of approximately 500 people.
- Type O (positive or negative) blood is possessed by around 35 percent of people.
- People with AB-blood type are just around 0.4 percent of the population. They are universal donors of plasma that is often used in emergency cases, for newborns and patients who need substantial transfusions.
Blood donation is not a medical activity that has gained importance in the modern world as ancient civilizations have documented blood transfusion in their sacred religious texts. Though Richard Lower lead the way by performing a blood transfusion between dogs in 1665, Landsteener's discovery of the ABO blood group system in 1901 was one of the greatest milestones in transfusion medicine.
Blood is needed for a wide range of reasons and healthy blood donors are the key. Blood donation should not only be done but also encouraged. After all, your blood can save a precious life!
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