January is marked as Nationwide Blood Donor Month to lift consciousness concerning the significance of blood donation. This 12 months, it holds particular significance because the nation faces an emergency scarcity, with donations reaching an all-time low up to now 20 years.
In keeping with the American Pink Cross, the variety of folks donating blood by the nonprofit has fallen by about 40% within the final 20 years. Along with the general decline in donations, interruptions within the blood donation course of between Christmas and New 12 months’s Day have led to a shortfall of roughly 7,000 models.
People who find themselves 17 years outdated (16 with parental consent the place permitted by state legislation), weigh a minimal of 110 kilos and are in usually good well being are eligible to donate blood within the U.S.
“Though roughly 66% of the U.S. grownup inhabitants is eligible to donate blood, solely 3% of the inhabitants donates blood,” Dr. Jessica Jacobson, director of Blood Financial institution and Transfusion Drugs at Bellevue Hospital-New York College, instructed Medical Each day.
Many individuals chorus from donating blood resulting from worry and misunderstandings concerning the process. Right here, Dr. Jacobson tries to dispel some widespread myths related to the method to encourage extra folks to donate blood.
Delusion#1 Donating blood makes you sick, donors can contract an infection.
Reality: Wholesome individuals who donate blood won’t grow to be much less wholesome afterward, and there’s no threat of catching an infection by donation.
“Blood donation may be very protected. Every donor is drawn with a sterile single-use package. A donor shouldn’t be uncovered to the blood of every other particular person. 95+% of donors don’t have any opposed results. Most unwanted side effects, after they happen are delicate and embody bruising, feeling faint, and nerve irritation. Lower than 0.1% of blood donors expertise important blood donation reactions which require medical therapy,” Dr. Jacobson mentioned.
Delusion#2 If you’re on any medicine, you possibly can’t donate blood
Reality: Whereas the vast majority of medicines don’t make one ineligible for blood donation, sure medicines could disqualify some people from taking part within the course of.
Individuals with ldl cholesterol points and hypertension are sometimes eligible to donate blood. Furthermore, medicines prescribed for these circumstances usually don’t disqualify an individual from taking part in blood donation.
“Donation of allogeneic blood have to be protected for each the particular person donating the blood and the recipient. The FDA prohibits folks taking sure medicines from donating blood to guard the recipient. Individuals taking medicine to stop or deal with HIV an infection should not eligible to donate allogeneic blood,” Dr. Jacobson defined.
Allogeneic transfusion, also called homologous blood transfusion, entails transfusion between a appropriate donor and a affected person.
Delusion#3 Donating blood depletes one’s blood provide
Reality: A mean grownup has about 10.5 pints of blood of their physique, and solely about one pint of blood is collected throughout a session of blood donation. The blood quantity replenishes and returns to regular inside 24 hours.
Complete blood might be donated as soon as in eight weeks, whereas platelets might be donated twice in seven days or as much as 24 instances in 12 months.
“Somebody can donate complete blood as soon as each 56 days. As a result of purple blood cells sometimes survive for about 120 days, your physique is regularly making new purple blood cells. Every day your physique makes about 10% of your platelets. White blood cell clotting components and different proteins in plasma are additionally regularly being made and changed. An grownup has about 10 pints of blood and may simply replenish the quantity misplaced when donating blood. A part of evaluating every donor earlier than blood donation is checking the particular person’s hemoglobin degree to guarantee that it’s protected for them to donate,” Dr. Jacobson mentioned.
