Blood Donation

MAGSAYSAY Blood Donation Program

Blood Donation Facts

Blood donation is a process wherein a person voluntarily has blood drawn for the purpose of blood transfusion.
Donated blood is used to replace blood lost during injury and major surgeries or to help patients with blood disorders and burn patients. A unit of whole blood can save up to three people because it can be separated into three distinct products each with a different function.

Who can donate blood?

A donor should:

Be aged between 18 years and 60 years
Have a hemoglobin level of at least 12.5 g/dL.
Weigh at least 50 kilograms
Have normal body temperature and blood pressure at the time of donation.
Should be free from any disease at the time of donation.

Who should not donate blood?

The following people may not donate blood:

Pregnant, lactating, or menstruating women and those who have recently had an abortion.
Those who are on certain medicines or addicted to drugs.
Those with multiple sexual partners.
Those with signs of infection (jaundice, rubella, typhoid and malaria).
Those who have undergone surgery in the past six months.
Those who consumed alcohol 24 hours prior to donation.
Those with systemic disease (heart disease, kidney disease, liver problems, blood disorders and asthma).
Those who have undergone certain vaccinations (to be decided by the Blood Bank staff).

How much blood is taken at the time of donation How soon does the body recover from this loss?

An average person has 5 to 6 liters of blood in the body and only 450 ml of blood is taken at the time of donation. In terms of volume, the loss is corrected within 24 to 48 hours by the body.

How long does the process of donation take?

The whole process takes about 30 to 45 minutes. It starts with the registration, health history and medical check up of the donor. The actual donation usually takes less than 10 minutes. Right after blood donation, the donor will be advised to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

How often can one donate?

The minimum time advised between two donations is 3 months. This gap helps blood regain the normal hemoglobin count.

Are there any hazards in blood donation? What are the precautions that need to be taken?

The donor's health will not suffer because of the blood donated. In fact, the bone marrow is stimulated to produce new cells.