Donating Blood - Important Factual Information About Saving Lives

According to figures provided by the Red Cross, approximately 32,000 pints of blood are used every day in the United States. Other figures state that although 60% of adults are eligible to donate blood, only 5% do regularly.

Blood donation might sound like a scary or daunting thing to do. Other people just never think of doing so. For people who otherwise wouldn't have time to donate blood, many workplaces and other organizations host blood drives so a person wanting to donate blood can do so by stopping in without an appointment during their normal day. Blood donations may also be scheduled at local blood centers.

Children battling cancer, a person having emergency surgery, a mother giving birth or a young man injured in a car accident are examples of people who need donated blood. There are four blood types: Type A, Type B, Type AB, and Type O. There are also positive and negative types of each blood type. It is important to the person receiving a blood donation that the right type be used. Otherwise, the blood can clump and cause clots that can be fatal. Type O negative is in demand because they are called the "universal donors". All blood types can receive a blood donation of Type O negative blood.

There are three steps to making a blood donation once you have decided to donate blood and are at a blood donation site.

The first step is a screening. You will fill out a consent form and a screener will ask you an extensive series of questions. These questions are used to determine a blood donor's eligibility. Some questions include your age, weight, current state of health, and any risk factors such as tattooing, international travel, and sexual history.

Currently in the United States a person who has had sex with a male who has had sex with another male since 1977 is considered ineligible to donate blood; a person under 17 years old or under 110 pounds is not eligible to donate;there are also travel-realted risks such as HIV, a human form of cow disease and malaria. Once the questionnaire is completed, the screener will typically prick the donor's finger to determine the hemoglobin level or hematocrit of the blood and take the donor's blood pressure.

Step two is the actual blood donation. Usually, the blood donor reclines or lies on a bench or reclining chair. A phlebotomist disinfects the inner elbow and inserts a cannula. A tourniquet is applied to the upper arm and the phlebotomist may instruct you to open and close your fist repeatedly to speed the blood flow. This part of the blood donation only takes 10-15 minutes. Blood flows from the vein into a special collection bag to measure how much blood is collected. A typical blood donation is about a pint, which is approximately 1/10th of the blood in your body.

The third step is a recovery time. The person making a blood donation will be given a gauze strip to stop the blood flow and allowed to get up. Snacks and drinks are provided to help restore blood sugar. It's a good idea to sit and rest for a few minutes, especially if you feel faint, lightheaded or nauseous. It is best to eat a good meal, and drink plenty of fluids before your blood donation as well. Most blood donation centers will give you a special t-shirt or sticker for your blood donation. Wear it with pride: you've just saved three lives!

Each pint of blood is separated into several parts:

* Red blood cells which carry oxygen through a body

* Plasma which makes up 55% of blood volume

* Platelets that aid blood clotting and are needed by leukemia and other cancer patients

* Cryoprecipitate used to treat hemophilia and other clotting disorders

It is rare to have any adverse effects from donating blood. In fact, some people report that donating blood regularly is invigorating. Perhaps that is because those people know that donating blood is a unique contribution. After all, there is no substitute for human blood!