What Happens to Donated Blood?

Step 1: The Donation

Donor registers Health history and mini physical are completed About 1 pint of blood and several small test tubes are collected from each donor The bag, test tubes and the donor record are labeled with an identical bar code label to keep track of the donation The donation is stored in iced coolers until it is transported to aRed Cross center. Step 2: Processing Donated blood is scanned into a computer database Most blood is spun in centrifuges to separate the transfusable components – red cells, platelets, and plasma The primary components like plasma, can be further manufactured into components such as cryoprecipitate Red cells are then leuko-reduced Single donor platelets are leukoreduced and bacterially tested. Test tubes are sent for testing. Step 3: Testing Steps 2 and 3 take place in parallel The test tubes are received in one of five Red Cross National Testing Laboratories A dozen tests are performed on each unit of donated blood – to establish the blood type and test for infectious diseases Test results are transferred electronically to the manufacturing facility within 24 hours If a test result is positive, the unit is discarded and the donor is notified. Test results are confidential and are only shared with the donor, except as may be required by law Step 4: Storage When test results are received, units suitable for transfusion are labeled and stored Red Cells are stored in refrigerators at 6ºC for up to 42 days Platelets are stored at room temperature in agitators for up to five days Plasma and cryo are frozen and stored in freezers for up to one year Step 5: Distribution Blood is available to be shipped to hospitals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

56 Facts About Blood and Blood Donation

One for each day between your blood donation!

1. More than 4.5 million patients need blood transfusions each year in the U.S. and Canada.
2. 43,000 pints: amount of donated blood used each day in the U.S. and Canada.
3. Someone needs blood every two seconds.
4. Only 37 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood – less than 10 percent do annually**.
5. About 1 in 7 people entering a hospital need blood.
6. One pint of blood can save up to three lives.
7. Healthy adults who are at least 17 years old, and at least 110 pounds may donate about a pint of blood—the most common form of donation—every 56 days, or every two months, depending on iron levels. Females receive 53 percent of blood transfusions; males receive 47 percent.
8. 94 percent of blood donors are registered voters.
9. Four main red blood cell types: A, B, AB and O. Each can be positive or negative for the Rh factor. AB is the universal recipient; O negative is the universal donor of red blood cells.
10. Dr. Karl Landsteiner first identified the major human blood groups – A, B, AB and O – in 1901.
11. One unit of blood can be separated into several components: red blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate.
12. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body’s organs and tissues.
13. Red blood cells live about 120 days in the circulatory system.
14. Platelets promote blood clotting and give those with leukemia and other cancers a chance to live.
15. Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, proteins and salts.
16. Plasma, which is 90 percent water, makes up 55 percent of blood volume.
17. Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets.
18. Blood or plasma that comes from people who have been paid for it cannot be used to human transfusion.
19. Granulocytes, a type of white blood cell, roll along blood vessel walls in search of bacteria to engulf and destroy.
20. White cells are the body’s primary defense against infection.
21. Apheresis is a special kind of blood donation that allows a donor to give specific blood components, such as platelets.
22. 42 days: how long most donated red blood cells can be stored.
23. Five days: how long most donated platelets can be stored.
24. One year: how long frozen plasma can be stored.
25. Much of today’s medical care depends on a steady supply of blood from healthy donors.
26. 2.7 pints: the average whole blood and red blood cell transfusion.*
27. Children being treated for cancer, premature infants and children having heart surgery need blood and platelets from donors of all types, especially type O.
28. Anemic patients need blood transfusions to increase their red blood cell levels.
29. Cancer, transplant and trauma patients, and patients undergoing open-heart surgery may require platelet transfusions to survive.
30. Sickle cell disease is an inherited disease that affects between 90,000 to 100,000 people in the United States, 98 percent of whom are of African descent.
31. Many patients with severe sickle cell disease receive blood transfusions every month.
32. A patient could be forced to pass up a lifesaving organ, if compatible blood is not available to support the transplant.
33. Thirteen tests (11 for infectious diseases) are performed on each unit of donated blood.
34. 17 percent of non-donors cite “never thought about it” as the main reason for not giving, while 15 percent say they’re too busy.
35. The #1 reason blood donors say they give is because they “want to help others.”
36. Shortages of all blood types happen during the summer and winter holidays.
37. Blood centers often run short of types O and B red blood cells.
38. The rarest blood type is the one not on the shelf when it’s needed by a patient.
39. There is no substitute for human blood.
40. If all blood donors gave three times a year, blood shortages would be a rare event (The current average is about two.).
41. If only one more percent of all Americans would give blood, blood shortages would disappear for the foreseeable future.
42. 46.5 gallons: amount of blood you could donate if you begin at age 17 and donate every 56 days (depending on iron levels) until you reach 79 years old.
43. Four easy steps to donate blood: medical history, quick physical, donation and snacks.
44. The actual blood donation usually takes about 10 minutes. The entire process – from the time you sign in to the time you leave – takes about an hour.
45. 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.
46. You cannot get AIDS or any other infectious disease by donating blood.
47. 10 pints: amount of blood in the body of an average adult.
48. One unit of whole blood is roughly the equivalent of one pint.
49. Blood makes up about 7 percent of your body’s weight.
50. A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his body.
51. Giving blood will not decrease your strength.
52. Any company, community organization, place of worship or individual may contact their local community blood center to host a blood drive.
53. Blood drives hosted by companies, schools, places of worship and civic organizations supply roughly half of all blood donations across the United States.
54. People who donate blood are volunteers and are not paid for their donation.
55. 500,000: the number of Americans who donated blood in the days following the September 11 attacks.
56. Blood donation. It’s about an hour of your time. It’s About Life.

Blood Facts and Statistics

Blood Facts and Statistics
Facts about blood needs

• Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
• More than 41,000 blood donations are needed every day.
• A total of 30 million blood components are transfused each year in the U.S.
• The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.
• The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.
• The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs.
• Sickle cell disease affects more than 70,000 people in the U.S. About 1,000 babies are born with the disease each year. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.
• More than 1.6 million people were diagnosed with cancer last year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
• A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.

Facts about the blood supply

• The number of blood donations collected in the U.S. in a year: 15.7 million
• The number of blood donors in the U.S. in a year: 9.2 million
• Although an estimated 38% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate, less than 10% actually do each year.
• 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 pints of blood in his body. Roughly 1 pint 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 released to hospitals.
• Information you give to the American Red Cross during the donation process is confidential. It may not be released without your permission except as directed by law.

Facts about blood and its components

• 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 pint 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.
• Most donated red blood cells must be used within 42 days of collection.
• Donated platelets must be used within five days of collection – new donations are constantly needed.
• Plasma and cryoprecipitate are stored in frozen state and can be used for up to one year after 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 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood, potentially helping save more than 1,000 lives!
• Half of Red Cross donors male, and half are female.
• The American Red Cross accepts blood donations only from volunteer donors.
• Among Red Cross donors in a given year, 19 percent donate occasionally, 31 percent are first-time donors, and 50 percent are regular, loyal donors.
• Only 7 percent of people in the U.S. 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.
• Forty-five percent of people in the U.S. have Type O (positive or negative) blood. This percentage is higher among Hispanics – 57 percent, and among African Americans – 51 percent.
• Only 3 percent of people in the U.S. have AB-positive blood type. AB-positive type blood donors are universal donors of plasma, which is often used in emergencies, for newborns and for patients requiring massive transfusions.

Facts about American Red Cross Blood Services

• The American Red Cross blood program started in 1940, under the leadership of Dr. Charles Drew.
• The American Red Cross supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood supply.
• The Red Cross provides blood for patients in approximately 2,700 hospitals across the U.S.
• The Red Cross makes blood available to any patient who needs it — patients are not required to find donors to replace the blood they use (a practice common in Europe and some U.S. blood banks) allowing the patient and their family to focus on recovery.
• Eighty percent of the blood donations given to the Red Cross are collected at mobile blood drives set up at community organizations, companies, high schools, colleges, places of worship or military installations. The remaining 20 percent are collected at fixed Red Cross donor centers.
• The American Red Cross works with more than 50,000 blood drive sponsors each year to hold more than 200,000 blood drives, providing convenient locations for people to give blood.

Blood types and donation

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARBCS) collects around 1.4 million blood donations each year. Most of this is used to help people with medical conditions that require blood or blood products regularly. For example, 34 per cent of donated red cells are used to help treat people with cancer and blood diseases such as haemophilia.

Medical researchers also need donated blood in order to develop new treatments for many medical conditions, such as blood clots, heart attack, stroke and cancer. 
The four different blood groups are A, B, AB and O, and each type is either Rh-positive or Rh-negative. O negative blood can be given to anybody if necessary, but it is always preferable to match the exact blood group to prevent dangerous reactions. 

Healthy adults are able to donate blood and the procedure is safe and relatively painless. 

During a regular donation, you will give around 470 ml of whole blood. This is about eight per cent of the average adult’s blood volume. The body replaces this volume within 24 to 48 hours, and replenishes red blood cells in 10 to 12 weeks. 

Your donation of blood is usually separated into different components, because people receiving blood generally need a specific component, rather than whole blood.

Blood donor requirements

Donors to the blood service must:

• Be healthy and not suffering from a cold, flu or other illness at the time of donation
• Be aged between 16 and 70 years
• Weigh at least 45 kg
• Have normal temperature and blood pressure
• Meet guidelines designed to protect both the donor and the people who will receive the blood.

Some medications may affect your ability to donate blood. To find out if your medication rules you in or out, call the Blood Service directly.

Blood donation and mad cow disease (vCJD)

Donors who have spent six months or more in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man between 1980 and 1996 may not donate for the foreseeable future. This is due to the possibility that they may have vCJD (variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease), a human form of BSE or ‘mad cow disease’.

This condition cannot yet be tested for and may remain dormant for a very long time. Similar precautionary measures apply to donors in New Zealand, Canada and the USA.

The blood donation process

You can donate blood to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service at a variety of places, including blood donor centres or mobile units. Donating blood only takes around 10 minutes, but you should allow at least an hour for the whole process, which includes a personal interview and recovery time in the refreshment area. 

You can donate whole blood every 12 weeks, but you can donate plasma (the liquid component of blood) every two weeks. 

Mandatory tests of donated blood

All donated blood is screened for bloodborne diseases such as hepatitis, syphilis and HIV.

Different types of blood donation

The main types of blood donation include:

• Homologous donation – a standard, whole-blood donation, consisting of plasma, red and white blood cells, platelets, antibodies and other components
• Plasma donation – also known as apheresis. Plasma is separated from the other components by a special machine, and the red blood cells are returned to the donor in cycles throughout the donation
• Platelet donation – known as platelet pheresis. This is done in a similar way to plasma donation, but both the red cells and plasma are returned to the donor.
• Less common donations include:
• Autologous donation – prior to a scheduled operation or transfusion, a person donates blood for their own use
• Directed or designated donation – a donor can give blood that will be used for a specific person.

Autologous and directed donations are now rare, occurring only in special medical cases. These blood donations have the same small risks as homologous donations.

Products made from whole blood

Donated blood is used to make a variety of different products, including:

• Red cells – carry oxygen. Most recipients of donated blood are given red cells to boost the oxygen-carrying abilities of their own blood
• Platelets – are needed for blood clotting. People who need extra platelets include people with certain diseases, such as leukaemia, or those recovering from a severe haemorrhage (bleeding)
• White cells – are part of the immune system. A person with compromised immunity, perhaps following severe infection, may be given white cells to bolster their immune system
• Plasma – is the liquid component of blood. Plasma helps boost blood volume
• Cryoprecipitate – is found in plasma and contains clotting factors. Cryoprecipitate can be isolated from plasma and is commonly used to treat severe bleeding.

Products made from blood plasma

Plasma is the liquid component of blood. Red cells, white cells and platelets are suspended in this liquid. Plasma also contains antibodies and other important proteins. Plasma is processed to make a number of different products including:

• Human immunoglobulin (Intragam) – used to boost the immune system
• Normal immunoglobulin – used to prevent hepatitis A, including for overseas travellers or for family contacts of people with this illness
• Hyper immunoglobulins – used in vaccinations for chickenpox, tetanus, cytomegalovirus and hepatitis B
• Anti-D – prevents haemolytic disease of newborn babies by inoculating a mother who is Rh-negative against the incompatible Rh-positive blood cells of her baby
• Human albumin (Albumex 20) – used to treat protein deficiency
• Biostate (Factor VIII Concentrate) – used to treat haemophilia A and other bleeding disorders
• Human coagulation factor IX (Monofix) – used to treat haemophilia B
• Human prothrombin complex (Prothrombinex HT) – used to treat bleeding disorders
• Human antithrombin III (Thrombotrol VF) – used to treat a condition characterised by premature blood clotting.

Blood donation for medical research

About eight out of every 10 Australians will experience a blood-related disease at some point in their lives. Blood clots can cause heart attack or stroke, and blood cancers (such as lymphomas or leukaemia) make up about 15 per cent of cancers in Australia. New treatments for these life-threatening conditions depend on medical research. 

Research scientists need donated blood to investigate the causes of blood-related diseases including:

• Anti-clotting enzymes – normally, particular enzymes help to break down and remove blood clots from the bloodstream. Understanding this process may help to develop new treatments for life-threatening blood clots
• Platelet adhesion – investigating the chemicals that cause platelets to stick to blood vessel walls can help determine why life-threatening conditions like stroke occur
• Blood stem cells – these create blood components such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Malfunctioning stem cells are thought to cause blood-related illnesses such as leukaemia. Investigating stem cell functions can lead to better treatments
• Myeloma – this is cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow. Donated blood is used to test the effectiveness of new treatments.

Blood donor requirements for research projects

The donor requirements for medical research may be slightly different from those for blood service donors, depending on the research project. For example, people with bleeding disorders or people who are taking blood-thinning medications are not usually able to participate in a research project that studies healthy platelets. 

People who usually don’t qualify as blood service donors (such as people who have lived in the United Kingdom) sometimes qualify as donors for medical research, depending on the project. All donors must be 18 years or over.

If you are interested in donating blood for medical research, the process at the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases (ACBD) includes:

• Telephone the ACBD to make an appointment.
• At the ACBD, you receive an information form, which outlines the purpose of the research.
• You are given a consent form to sign.
• The blood collection procedure is safe and is performed by a qualified scientist, nurse or doctor. It takes about 20 minutes.
• The amount of blood taken depends on the needs of the research project. The maximum amount is 400 ml. Your body needs only a couple of days to replace this volume.
• In some cases, you may be paid a small amount (such as $10.00) for your time.
• If you want, you can receive information on the results of the research project.
• Depending on the amount of blood taken, you can donate again within three months. Most people can donate regularly.
• Your name and contact details are kept on a database in case you would like to give future donations.
• If you have a complaint about any aspect of the research, you can contact the Standing Committee on Ethics in Research on Humans.

Consent form for blood donation for medical research

If you agree to participate in a blood research project, you must sign a consent form. The exact content of the form will vary, but may include a statement that:

• You understand the aims of the research project (this should be explained to you)
• You are willing to donate the required amount of blood
• You know that the blood donation procedure may be uncomfortable, and may result in a small amount of bruising around the needle site
• The blood will be used purely for research, not for transfusion or any other medical purpose
• All information you provide is confidential
• Your participation is voluntary and you can change your mind at any stage.