Blood Donation-Some Facts

Safe blood for saving mothers

The focus for this year’s campaign is “Safe blood for saving mothers”. The campaign will increase awareness about why timely access to safe blood and blood products is essential for all countries as part of a comprehensive approach to prevent maternal deaths.

WHO encourages all countries and national and international partners working on blood transfusion and maternal health to develop an activity plan to highlight the need for timely access to safe blood and blood products in the prevention of maternal death


Every year, on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day. The event raises awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.

Every day, about 800 women die from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications. Almost all of these deaths occur in developing countries. More than half of them occur in sub-Saharan Africa and almost one third in South Asia. The risk of maternal mortality is highest for adolescent girls under 15 years of age.

Severe bleeding during delivery and after childbirth is a major cause of mortality, morbidity and long-term disability. However, access to safe and sufficient blood and blood products and the rational and safe use of blood transfusion still remain major challenges in many countries around the world.


Blood donation facts

Giving blood is safe and simple, but whether you’re a donor or non-donor, you may have questions about how it all works and what donating or hosting means to your community. From quick facts to key stats, you’ll find all the answers here.



Blood

There are four main blood types: A, B, AB and O.

Type O- is the universal blood donor and type AB+ is the universal recipient.

Whole blood is composed of three main components: red cells, plasma and platelets.

13 tests (11 for infectious diseases) are performed on each unit of donated blood.

One unit of blood can support up to three lives.

Shortages of any blood type can happen at any time, especially during the summer and winter months.

The need

Every two seconds, someone needs blood.

Each year, 4.5 million Americans would die without blood transfusions.

Car accident victims can require red blood cell transfusions of 50 units or more.

Severe burn victims require approximately 20 units of plasma during treatment.

Children being treated for cancer, premature infants and children having heart surgery need blood and platelets from donors of all types, especially type O.

Some patients with complications from severe sickle cell disease receive blood transfusions every month — up to four units at a time.

A patient could be forced to pass up a lifesaving organ if compatible blood is not available to support the transplant.





Donating blood

Donating blood involves four easy steps: a medical history review, a quick physical, blood donation and snacks.

The actual blood donation part usually takes about 10 minutes. The entire process — from the time you sign in to the time you leave — takes about an hour.

After donating blood, you replace the fluid in hours and the red blood cells within four weeks. It takes eight weeks to restore the iron lost after donating.

You cannot get AIDS or any other infectious disease by donating blood.

Giving blood will not decrease your strength.

Blood drives hosted by companies, schools, places of worship and civic organizations supply most of the blood donations across the U.S.

If only one more percent of all Americans would give blood, blood shortages would disappear for the foreseeable future.

Be the giving type

It only takes about an hour to donate blood and help those in your community who need it most


Facts about blood needs

Every year our nation requires about 4 Crore units of blood, out of which only a meager 40 Lakh units of blood are available.

The gift of blood is the gift of life. There is no substitute for human blood.

Every two seconds someone needs blood.

More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day.

A total of 30 million blood components are transfused each year.

The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.

The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.

Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.

More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.

A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood

Facts about the blood supply

Blood cannot be manufactured – it can only come from generous donors.

Type O-negative blood (red cells) can be transfused to patients of all blood types. It is always in great demand and often in short supply.

Type AB-positive plasma can be transfused to patients of all other blood types. AB plasma is also usually in short supply.

Facts about the blood donation process

Donating blood is a safe process. A sterile needle is used only once for each donor and then discarded.

Blood donation is a simple four-step process: registration, medical history and mini-physical, donation and refreshments.

Every blood donor is given a mini-physical, checking the donor's temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin to ensure it is safe for the donor to give blood.

The actual blood donation typically takes less than 10-12 minutes. The entire process, from the time you arrive to the time you leave, takes about an hour and 15 min.

The average adult has about 10 units of blood in his body. Roughly 1 unit is given during a donation.

A healthy donor may donate red blood cells every 56 days, or double red cells every 112 days.

A healthy donor may donate platelets as few as 7 days apart, but a maximum of 24 times a year.

All donated blood is tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and other infectious diseases before it can be transfused to patients.

Facts about blood and its components

Blood makes up about 7 percent of your body's weight.

There are four types of transfusable products that can be derived from blood: red cells, platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate. Typically, two or three of these are produced from a unit of donated whole blood – hence each donation can help save up to three lives.

Donors can give either whole blood or specific blood components only. The process of donating specific blood components – red cells, plasma or platelets – is called apheresis.

One transfusion dose of platelets can be obtained through one apheresis donation of platelets or by combining the platelets derived from five whole blood donations.

Donated platelets must be used within five days of collection.

Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets. The body will replenish the elements given during a blood donation – some in a matter of hours and others in a matter of weeks.

Facts about donors

The number one reason donors say they give blood is because they "want to help others."

Two most common reasons cited by people who don't give blood are: "Never thought about it" and "I don't like needles."

One donation can help save the lives of up to three people.

If you began donating blood at age 18 and donated every 90 days until you reached 60, you would have donated 30 gallons of blood, potentially helping save more than 500 lives!

Only 7 percent of people in India have O-negative blood type. O-negative blood type donors are universal donors as their blood can be given to people of all blood types.

Type O-negative blood is needed in emergencies before the patient's blood type is known and with newborns who need blood.

Thirty-five percent of people have Type O (positive or negative) blood.

0.4 percent of people have AB-blood type. AB-type blood donors are universal donors of plasma, which is often used in emergencies, for newborns and for patients requiring massive transfusions.

There are four main blood types: A, B, AB and O.

In 1901, Karl Landsteiner, an Austrian physician, discovers the first three human blood groups. On his birthday i.e June 14th "World Blood Donors Day" celebrates. On October 1st ‘National Blood Donation Day’ celebrates in India.

WHAT TYPE ARE YOU?

FREQUENCY OF BLOOD TYPES

O+ 1 person in 3

O- 1 person in 15

A+ 1 person in 3

A- 1 person in 16

B+ 1 person in 12

B- 1 person in 67

AB+ 1 person in 29

AB- 1 person in 167




EXAMPLES OF BLOOD USE

1. Automobile Accident

50 units of blood

2. Heart Surgery

6 units of blood / 6 units of platelets

3. Organ Transplant

40 units of blood / 30 units of platelets

4. 20 bags of cryoprecipitate

25 units of fresh frozen plasma

5. Bone Marrow Transplant

120 units of platelets/ 20 units of blood

6. Burn Victims

20 units of platelets