whole blood – Read, Write and Life around it…

There was a drive of Blood Donation at our Office yesterday (21 Feb 2014)..
I donated Whole Blood .. And it feels nice.. 🙂

Naah..!! I am not a first timer.. Last time I gave blood was 3 yrs back I guess..

I feel bad, when my HB doesn’t matches to their requirement of donating blood…

Here I am mentioning some things about Donating Blood.. Hope it helps someone, to feel and go for their first Blood Donation 🙂

World Blood Donor Day : 14 June

Why blood donation ?

According to WHO

Safe blood saves lives and improves health. Blood transfusion is needed for:
Women with complications of pregnancy, such as ectopic pregnancies and hemorrhage before, during or after childbirth;
Children with severe anemia often resulting from malaria or malnutrition;
People with severe trauma following accidents; and
Many surgical and cancer patients.
It is also needed for regular transfusions for people with conditions such as Thessalonian and sickle cell disease and is used to make products such as clotting factors for people with hemophilia.

According to Blood Center

Every three seconds, someone needs a blood transfusion!
20 percent of recipients are children – many are cancer patients!
Giving blood is 100 percent safe!
One pint of blood from one donor can save up to three lives!
About 60 percent of the population are eligible to donate blood, yet less than 4 percent do!
At least 500 pints of blood must be collected every day to meet the needs of area patients.
We import more than 20 percent of our blood supply.
If donors gave two to four times a year, it would prevent blood shortages.

Me ^_^

By donating blood we help others and in a way the whole of society. For us, its just 10 mints but for people who need, its their hope…and can save their life..
Its FREE, so we don’t have to worry for any fee/charges to apply for donating Blood.
We as a women can give blood three times a year.. whereas Men can give four times a year. 3-4 is just a small number, try to achieve it 🙂
One donation can help lives of upto three People

Types of Blood donation

Whole Blood Donation

: This is the most common type of donation which approximately a pint of ‘whole blood’ is given.
: This type of blood donation usually takes about an hour, though the actual donation takes about 8-10 minutes.
: You are eligible to donate ‘whole blood’ every 56 days.

Platelet Apheresis

: During this type of donation, an apheresis machine collects the platelets and some plasma and returns the red cells and most of the plasma back to the donor.
: Platelets are a vital element of cancer and organ transplant treatments, as well as many surgical procedures as they help prevent massive blood loss.
: A single donation of platelets collected by apheresis can constitute one or several transfusable units, while it takes about four to six whole blood donations to constitute a single transfusable unit of platelets.
: The donation takes approximately one and-a-half to two and-a-half hours.

Plasma Apheresis

: Plasma is collected simultaneously with a platelet donation.
: During a plasma apheresis donation, the blood is collected by a machine, which separates the plasma, red cells and platelets and returns the red cells and/or platelets back to the donor.
: While donors with Type AB blood can only give red cells to other Type AB recipients, they are the universal plasma donors. The ‘right type’ donation for AB donors may be an apheresis donation of plasma or plasma and platelets.
: The donation takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Double Red Cells

: Double red cell donation is done with the help of an apheresis machine which collects the red cells but returns most of the plasma and platelets to the donor.
: red cells are the most transfused blood component, and certain blood types are often in short supply.
: Double red cell donations from Type O donors and donors with Rh-negative blood types play a very important role in maintaining blood supply levels.
: Donors need to meet slightly higher hemoglobin and body height/weight requirements in order to be able to give a double red cell donation.
: Double red cell donations take approximately 30 minutes longer than a whole blood donation and allow you to give two units of red cells.

First time Donor ?

Before you donate blood, you should have HB level.
Each donor receives a brief examination for :
temperature
pulse
blood pressure
blood count (HB) are measured
Other Questions ?
All equipment is sterile; needles are used only once and then discarded.
Drink plenty of water or fruit juice the night and morning before you donate.
Eat three hours prior to the donation.
Afraid of Needle..? : Take a deep breath before the needle goes in, or pinch yourself to create a distraction.
Expect to be asked to rest sitting down for 10 to 20 minutes after giving blood.
Have a snack after the donation.
Avoid driving if you feel the least bit faint.
Eat a meal high in protein after your donation
Refrain from drinking alcohol for at least 8 hours after giving blood.
Excuse yourself from heavy lifting for the rest of the day.

Sign up for another time. 🙂 🙂

It feels nice to help someone, when they need the most.. We might not know them.. But this way , we are connected to them.