Today, June 14, is World Blood Donor Day, a date promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness of the need for blood and blood products for transfusions, as well as to thank all those who donate blood altruistically every year. World Blood Donor Day also serves to urge governments on the importance of having sufficient resources, as well as systems and infrastructures, to obtain blood from donors in a safe manner, so that it can also reach developing countries. Dr. Amparo Santamaría, hematologist and head of the Hematology Department at the University Hospital of Vinalopó and Torrevieja, explains the importance of blood donation.
Why is it important to donate blood?
Blood cannot be manufactured. The blood factory is the bone marrow of each one of us. Without altruistic donations many people could die, since blood transfusions are vital in many surgical interventions, traffic accidents, cancer patients, children… Every time we donate blood we are saving lives.
How can we raise awareness and involve more people to donate blood?
Donating is an act of courage, in which we become anonymous heroes and, in addition, we save lives. In fact, with a donation of one bag of blood we can save 3 lives. We should have it on the calendar, as “the day when I can save 3 lives in less than 30 minutes”.
Can everyone donate blood?
Almost everyone can donate blood. The main requirement to be able to donate blood is to be in good health, be between 18 and 65 years old and not weigh less than 50 kilos. Even people who have had hepatitis before the age of 12 can donate blood.
What procedures and protocols should be followed?
Before going to the donation you must eat, you should not go fasting but the other way around, you can take a light meal before going to donate blood, avoiding if possible fatty foods and dairy (or milk derivatives) during the 8 hours before. The usual medication can also be taken.
When the person goes to the donation point, the donor’s medical history is analyzed and some tests are performed, for example, an analysis to determine the blood group, existence of irregular antibodies and a test for HIV, hepatitis and syphilis. The donation only takes 30 minutes and, basically, after the interview -which is always confidential about the medical history-, the vitals are taken (blood pressure and pulse) and, when the patient is seated, about 450ml of blood is drawn. After the procedure the donor rests and is offered refreshments and can go home.
What to do after a blood donation, are there any activities that are not recommended in the first hours?
It is generally recommended, in the 3-4 hours following the procedure, not to exert yourself or carry heavy loads, not to drink alcohol, not to smoke and to drink plenty of liquids such as water, milk or juices.
What happens to the blood once it has been extracted? Where does the blood go?
Once the bag is collected, it is processed and divided into three main components: red blood cells, platelets and plasma. The blood is left in refrigerators at different temperatures and, when needed, it is taken to different hospitals to be transfused.
It is important to know that blood has an expiration date: red blood cells 35 days, platelets up to 5 days and plasma can be useful for longer. That is why one donation is not enough, because the blood that is donated has already been used to save at least one life in less than a month.
What kind of diseases can be cured or depend on a blood transfusion?
Childhood cancer patients sometimes need a blood transfusion because they cannot produce blood. There are also other blood cancers, such as leukemia or lymphoma, that affect the bone marrow, and not enough blood is made. In addition, there are many people with cancer who, during treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or after bone marrow transplantation, do not make enough blood and need transfusions.
Another situation in which blood is needed is after traffic accidents and during surgery, because blood is lost very quickly and there is no time for our body to manufacture it, and therefore it is necessary to have blood ready to transfuse immediately.
How long does it take to recover donated blood and how often can we donate blood?
Donated blood is recovered in less than 24 hours and you can donate blood up to a total of 3 times every 12 months, if you are a woman, and 4 times if you are a man. A minimum interval of more than 8 weeks must pass between donations.