Donating blood may be one of the most important things you’ve ever done. It is a safe and easy process which
takes approximately 45 minutes. Generally, anyone age 16 or older (16 year old donors require parental consent;
see link to consent form below), weighing at least 110 pounds and in good health, can donate blood. There is an eight-week (56 day) waiting period between donations.
Why is it important for me to give blood?
Donating blood is an active way of helping others and the whole of society.
For you, it's just a few moments out of your day but for patients in need, it may save their life.
Specialist medical staff are on hand at all times during the donation, which is a simple, safe and painless procedure. There is no risk for donors of giving blood, and it may help patients in Catalonia recover more quickly.
Donations - the only way of obtaining blood
Despite medical and technological advances, blood cannot currently be made. The only way of getting hold of it is via blood donations from people who give blood.
Each donation may help up to three different people
Because each blood donation provides three different blood components, each with its own role in treating patients, it helps up to three different people.
Blood and its components have a limited life
- Red blood cell concentrates can be kept for 42 days
- Plasma can be stored for a year
- Platelets can be kept for five days
Blood is used every day: we need 1.000 donations per day in Catalonia
Because the need for blood is constant, so is the need for donations. Every day, all the hospitals and clinics in Catalonia need blood and blood components to treat patients, since most surgical interventions and a great number of medical procedures require blood transfusions.
Giving blood - part of our routine
We don't just need to give blood in the event of tragedies or emergencies. Instead, it should be a normal and routine part of our lives. Regular blood donations mean that there will be sufficient amounts of safe blood in stock.
Remember that men can give blood up to four times a year - women up to three times -providing there are at least two months between donations.
Blood use is growing
Transfusions of blood and blood components have become an essential part of healthcare today. The increase in life expectancy, the creation of specialist intensive-care units, and the essential and ongoing needs of certain patients suffering diseases that were previously considered to be incurable, mean that the demand for blood continues to grow.
The Importance of Giving Blood
Every two seconds, a patient in the United States is in need of blood. In fact, about one of every seven people entering a hospital requires a blood transfusion. These startling statistics underscore the crucial nature of blood donation. Yet, only about 3% of the population currently gives blood. The number one reason these donors say they give is because they “want to help others.” This attitude of selfless giving supplies the 43,000 pints of donated blood used each day in North America.
There is no substitute for human blood. Over 4.5 million patients need blood transfusions each year in the United States and Canada. Many of these patients are among the most vulnerable in our hospitals – premature infants, children being treated for cancer and children having heart surgeries. Additionally, adult cancer and trauma patients may require platelet transfusions to survive. Some patients requiring life-saving organ transplants are tragically passed up for the procedure, even when the organ is available, due to a lack of compatible blood to support the transplant.
The actual donation process only takes about ten minutes, though you can expect to spend about an hour total at the donation center. Modern blood donation centers are manned by highly-trained professionals who are dedicated to your safety. You cannot contract AIDS or other infectious diseases through donating blood. Healthy adults can safely donate about a pint of blood every two months. Remarkably, it would only take one more percent of Americans donating blood for blood shortages to disappear.
and don’t have many opportunities to help trauma victims and those with serious illnesses. But one pint of your blood can save up to three lives, making blood donation a unique chance to change multiple lives. It’s a selfless act that allows you to help others in an unforgettable way. PMI is pleased to announce that we will be holding a special blood drive in the month of August. More details will be coming, so please stay tuned for information on how you can participate.
Every two seconds, a patient in the United States is in need of blood. In fact, about one of every seven people entering a hospital requires a blood transfusion. These startling statistics underscore the crucial nature of blood donation. Yet, only about 3% of the population currently gives blood. The number one reason these donors say they give is because they “want to help others.” This attitude of selfless giving supplies the 43,000 pints of donated blood used each day in North America.
There is no substitute for human blood. Over 4.5 million patients need blood transfusions each year in the United States and Canada. Many of these patients are among the most vulnerable in our hospitals – premature infants, children being treated for cancer and children having heart surgeries. Additionally, adult cancer and trauma patients may require platelet transfusions to survive. Some patients requiring life-saving organ transplants are tragically passed up for the procedure, even when the organ is available, due to a lack of compatible blood to support the transplant.
The actual donation process only takes about ten minutes, though you can expect to spend about an hour total at the donation center. Modern blood donation centers are manned by highly-trained professionals who are dedicated to your safety. You cannot contract AIDS or other infectious diseases through donating blood. Healthy adults can safely donate about a pint of blood every two months. Remarkably, it would only take one more percent of Americans donating blood for blood shortages to disappear.
and don’t have many opportunities to help trauma victims and those with serious illnesses. But one pint of your blood can save up to three lives, making blood donation a unique chance to change multiple lives. It’s a selfless act that allows you to help others in an unforgettable way. PMI is pleased to announce that we will be holding a special blood drive in the month of August. More details will be coming, so please stay tuned for information on how you can participate.
No comments:
Post a Comment