July 5, 2018 | Have you ever considered donating blood? An estimated seven million Americans donate every year, taking part in a procedure that can help save the lives of millions more. Unfortunately, during the summer, blood donation numbers go down because so many people are on vacation. The average adult has about 10 pints of blood in their body. About one pint is given during a donation, with donors allowed to give once every 56 days. A common misconception about blood usage is that accident victims require the greatest amount of blood. Actually, cancer patients and those undergoing orthopaedic surgical procedures require the most blood. Organ transplant patients and those people with blood disorders like sickle cell disease and hemophilia require a great deal of blood during treatment. The nation’s blood centers typically see a rise in donations during natural disasters but 40,000 pints of blood are needed every day to meet the needs of the ill and injured.

July 5, 2018 | If you have ever donated blood, you probably know your blood type. Blood types are based on the markers or antigens on the surface of red blood cells. Two major antigens or surface identifiers on human red blood cells are the A and B antigens. Another important surface antigen is called Rh. Blood typing detects the presence or absence of these antigens to determine a person’s blood group and Rh type. People whose red blood cells have A antigens are in blood group A, those with B antigens are group B, those with both A and B antigens are in group AB, and those who do not have either of these markers are in blood group O. If the Rh protein is present on the red blood cells, a person’s blood type is Rh positive. If it is absent, the person’s blood is type Rh negative. The most common type of blood in the U.S. is O positive, followed by A positive. The rarest type of blood in the country is AB negative, with only one percent of Americans having this type.

July 5, 2018 | Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. But unfortunately, less than 38 percent of the population are eligible to donate blood. So what is required to make a donation at one of country’s many blood banks? Most places require you to weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, to be at least 16 years old and to be in general good health. First-time donors are usually asked to present two forms of identification. During a pre-donation screening, a blood bank employee will ask you some questions about your health, lifestyle and disease risk factors. All of this information is kept confidential. Next, an employee will perform a short health exam, taking your pulse, temperature and blood pressure. A drop of blood from your finger will also be tested to ensure that your blood iron level is sufficient for you to donate. All medical equipment used for this test, as well as during the donation process, is sterile and promptly disposed of.

July 5, 2018 | Donating blood is a safe, simple and rewarding experience. During the actual donation, you will lie or sit in a reclining chair with your arm extended on an armrest. A blood pressure cuff or tourniquet is placed around your upper arm to fill your veins with more blood. This makes the veins easier to see and easier to insert the needle into, and also helps fill the blood bag more quickly. Then the skin on the inside of your elbow is cleaned. A new, sterile needle is inserted into a vein in your arm. This needle is attached to a thin, plastic tube and a blood bag. Once the needle is in place, you tighten your fist several times to help the blood flow from the vein. Blood initially is collected into tubes for testing. When these have been collected, blood is allowed to fill the bag, about a pint. The needle is usually in place about 10 minutes. When complete, the needle is removed, a small bandage is placed on the needle site and a dressing is wrapped around your arm.

July 5, 2018 | The most common form of blood donation is whole blood, in which the donor donates about a pint of blood. The blood is then separated into its components, red cells, plasma and platelets. During apheresis, you are hooked up to a machine that can collect and separate blood components, including red cells, plasma, platelets, and return the unused components back to the donor. Platelets, the cells that help stop bleeding by clumping and forming plugs in blood vessels, are commonly given to people with leukemia, people receiving chemotherapy and babies with severe infections. Double red cell donation allows you to donate twice the amount of red blood cells than you normally would during a whole blood donation. Red blood cells deliver oxygen to the entire body. People with a medical need for only red blood cells include those with severe blood loss, such as after an injury or accident, and those who have anemia with serious symptoms.