Blood Storage Centre

Facts about Blood Donation

When we need blood for our self or for a relative we think that its our right to receive blood. We are ready to pay money for a few bottles of blood but unfortunately it is not something that can be manufactured in a factory as needed. There is no substitute for human blood. It is blood donation that can save life of others. If even half of the people who are eligible to donate blood do it once or twice a year, then we will not have blood shortages. It takes just half hour to donate blood, then why not take that short time from our busy lives and participate in a nearby blood donation program.
June 14th is the World Blood Donor Day, blood donation might sound like a scary thing to many, but frankly it is very easy task. People often compare that what if they lost that same amount of blood in an injury or accident, both are incomparable situations, because during an accident there are other bodily injuries which cause most pain and not just the loss of blood. The demand for blood is increasing as surgeries that require more transfusions become common. Often hospitals around the world have to postpone surgeries because of a lack of available blood.

Benefits of Blood Donation:

• Men who participate in blood donation experience a 30 percent fewer incidents of heart disease and stroke compared to those people who did not.
• Blood donation can reduce the overall iron levels in blood, which may protect against heart attack. But this applies to people who had high iron in their blood to begin with. Men do not have menstrual period, therefore they store iron in their bodies, and often it's more than they need.
• Blood donation forces your body to replace the lost blood with fresh NEW cells. A healthy body replaces blood within 48 hours and creates NEW red blood cells within a week.
• The donor should not have taken any medicine in the last 48 hours.
• A normal adult has five to six liters of blood in his/her body of which only 300 ml is used during blood donation.

Types of Blood Groups:
There are four blood groups: Type A, Type B, Type AB, and Type O. Additionally there are positive and negative types of each blood group. Type O negative is universal donor", which means all blood types can usually receive Type O negative blood donation.

Blood donation Pre-Screening:
The nurse (or medical expert) taking your blood will ask you some questions which will determine whether or not you are eligible to donate blood and then perform some basic health checks. Questions include any medication you are taking, your current and health in recent days/months, your age, height, weight, recent travel, sex and tattooing history. Blood donor requirements change very frequently. Anyone who is in good health is at least 18 years old, and weighs at least 50 kgs may donate blood every once in 3 months.
Snacks and drinks are provided to the blood donors to help restore blood sugar. It is advisable to sit for a few minutes, then eat well and drink enough water for the next few days.
You cannot get AIDS or any other blood disease by donating blood as a new disposable needle is used to draw blood.

Products derived from whole blood:

• Packed Red blood cells >> carry oxygen
• Platelet concentrates >> body's clotting system to help control bleeding.
• Plasma (yellow liquid portion) helps to restores fluid volume.
• Cryoprecipitate and Fractionation.

The 24-hour Blood Bank at Health City is also one of the regional centres of the state.
SPARSH Hospital has an on site Satellite Blood Storage Center which provides a broad range of blood components, compatibility testing and transfusion services.