BLOOD AND BLOOD BANKING

Where is blood donated?

There are many places where blood donations can be made.
Most people donate at blood at hospital based donor centers. The major towns often have blood collection drives at regular intervals run by charitable institutions and social service organizations. Hospitals are almost always in need of blood.
Consult the telephone directory or the yellow pages to locate a nearby hospital to donate.

What are the criteria for blood donation?

To be eligible to donate blood, a person must generally be at least 18 years of age; be in good health; and weigh at least 45 kg. All donors must pass the minimum physical and health requirements as stipulated in the collection centre screening requirements.

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.
Blood can be donated once every three months.

What is Apheresis?

Though not yet common in India some centre practice apheresis, or 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 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 20 minutes to collect the blood, while an apheresis donation may take about an hour.

What is the most common blood type?

The approximate distribution of blood types is as follows.

O  Rh-positive................................ 37 percent

O  Rh-negative................................  9 percent

A  Rh-positive................................ 29 percent

A  Rh-negative................................  6 percent

B  Rh-positive................................  9 percent

B  Rh-negative................................  3 percent

AB Rh-positive................................  5 percent

AB Rh-negative................................  2 percent

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, human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV), and syphilis.

Blood components

Each unit of blood is normally separated into several components.
Red blood cells may be stored under refrigeration for a maximum of 42 days. Red cells carry oxygen and are commonly 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.
Granulocytes are sometimes used to fight infections, although their efficacy is not well established. They must be transfused within 24 hours of donation.
Fresh frozen plasma, used to control bleeding due to low levels of some clotting factors, is usually kept in the 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.

Other products manufactured from blood include albumin, immune globulin, specific immune globulins and clotting factor concentrates. These blood products are commonly made by commercial manufacturers.

What fees are associated with blood?

While donated blood is free, there are significant costs associated with collecting, testing, preparing components, storing blood and quality assurance. As a result a processing fee may be charged to recover costs. Hospitals also charge for any additional testing that may be required, such as the crossmatch, as well as for the administration of the blood.

When are blood donors needed most?

Blood donors are needed throughout the year. However the need is felt most during holiday seasons. It is during these times that the number of donations declines while the demand continues or even increases. While a given individual may be unable to donate, they may be able to find or recruit a suitable donor. Relatives and friends of a patient requiring a blood transfusion may wish to help their loved one.

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