GIVE BLOOD,
GIVE LIFE

Make blood donation a
priority in the New Year

By LYDIA RUEGER

I first donated blood at 17 when my high school hosted a blood drive. While I’d love to say I had been counting the days until my 17th birthday simply for the privilege of saving a life, the truth is that I got out of class to do it.

Despite my skewed sense of motivation, at 17, it
might seem I was off to a good start. But nothing could be further from the truth. I didn’t give blood again until working on this article two months ago — an embarrassing 13 years later. Why? I guess I just felt I never had the time.

With only 4 percent of Coloradoans giving blood at all, I’m apparently not the first to make this excuse. Other common reasons for not donating include “It’s not convenient” and “I’m afraid of needles,” says Julie Scott, public relations specialist for Bonfils Blood Center in Denver.

The need for blood, however, remains constant, even when donors are not. According to the National Blood Data Resource Center, U.S. hospitals transfused blood to 4.9 million patients in 2001, which averages out to 38,000 units (pints) of blood per day. As the largest blood supplier in Colorado, providing 80 percent of the state’s blood needs, the people at Bonfils know this all too well. “Every two seconds, someone is in need of a blood transfusion, and one donation can save up to three lives,” Scott says.

Whether involving car accident victims or cancer patients or premature babies or others, many medical situations require blood donation to be successful. In addition, during December and January, Scott says Bonfils experiences about a 20-percent decline in blood donations. “This is primarily because people are busy around the holidays, and in the winter there are more colds and flu,” she says.

WHAT TO EXPECT
Bonfils says it takes less than an hour to save three lives, and I can vouch for the fact that it really is true. After calling Bonfils’ Westminster location for an appointment, I was pleased to find out I could donate later that day. (This may vary.) At the office, a nice lady greeted me and became even happier about my arrival when she learned I was a new donor at Bonfils. Though I felt guilty about my 13- year hiatus, I felt no condemnation — only gratitude — from this employee.

The lady gave me a questionnaire to complete about my health and lifestyle. I’ll admit the 48-question list seemed a little lengthy, but it was necessary to determine my eligibility. Afterward, I was escorted to a small room, where a staff member verbally reviewed the questions with me and checked my blood pressure, pulse, temperature and hemoglobin (the molecule in the blood cell that carries oxygen). The staff member pricked my finger to extract a small amount of blood during this part. After just a few minutes, she determined I had passed the health screening and asked me to sit in a reclining chair.

The phlebotomist inserted a needle into the vein above my elbow joint and taped the needle in place. After less than 10 minutes with blood pumping from my arm, she taped the spot where the needle had been. The “hard part” was over. She gave me a number to call in case I had problems, and directed me toward an area stocked with ice cream, many flavors of fruit juice, water and a variety of snacks. I was told to take whatever I liked and to stay until I was sure I felt OK.

While I did feel a bit light-headed at first, by the time I ate a cookie and drank some water, I was back to normal. By the time I reached my car, cookie- eating time included, it had been exactly an hour since I had pulled into the parking lot.

WHO CAN DONATE
Based on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, persons donating blood must be 18 years old, or 17 with written parental/ guardian consent. They must be in general good health, weigh at least 110 pounds and have no history of hepatitis or HIV/AIDS. The questionnaire that is filled out prior to each donation covers more specific situations that might prevent someone from donating.

The most common reasons that might make someone temporarily unable to donate blood are low blood pressure and low hematocrit levels (low iron). “However, if those donors get a good night’s sleep and eat a good meal, it’s possible they could be cleared for a blood donation the very next day,” says Scott.

The second most common reason for deferral is for those who’ve recently traveled to countries with high concentrations of malaria, including (but not only) Central and South America and Africa. Such travelers are deferred for 12 months to the date of their return to the United States.

DONATION OPTIONS
First-time donors are asked to give whole blood, which can be done every 56 days, or six times a year. “This is because red blood cells carry oxygen, and it takes that long to replenish the oxygen in your body,” Scott says. The red blood cells found in whole blood carry oxygen to all parts of the body and are most needed for trauma, surgery and treating anemia. Donors can also choose to donate plasma or platelets, both of which can be donated as often as twice a week. The donation process takes longer because after the plasma and platelets are separated from the blood, the blood is pumped back into the body.

Plasma is the clear, straw-colored liquid part of the blood that carries hormones, minerals, nutrients and other materials through the body. It is used to treat patients with severe burns and blood-clotting disorders. Frozen, it can be stored up to one year.

Platelets are tiny, irregularly shaped cell fragments from large bone marrow cells. When bleeding occurs, platelets clump together and initiate a process that is essential for blood clotting. They are used for cancer therapy, blood disorders, organ transplants and openheart surgery. Platelets have a shelf life of only five days.

DONATION DURING DISASTERS
After Sept. 11, you may have heard stories of people lining up at blood centers in hopes of helping victims of the tragedy. But the sad truth is that large amounts of blood had to be discarded. Why? For one, whole blood has a shelf life of only 42 days. Another reason is because “it takes more than 24 hours to collect, process and distribute blood, so the immediate needs caused from a disaster have to be met by the blood that is already on the shelves,” says Louis Katz, M.D., past president of America’s Blood Centers in Washington, D.C. The need is still there, he says, but it’s more effective for people to make an appointment and go in at a later time. This will help build back the blood supply after the emergency.

According to the American Red Cross, O-negative blood is particularly helpful to have on hand during emergencies because it is the “universal donor,” meaning it can be used with all other types. However, only 7 percent of the population has this blood type, so really all types are needed.

HOSTING BLOOD DRIVES
Perhaps you are unable to give blood and still want to help, or maybe you just want to do more. Consider organizing a blood drive with your co-workers, church or community group. This means that blood center employees come to a specific location with their equipment, and you provide the donors. It’s also an option to gather participants and conduct a drive at one of the many blood center locations (see sidebar).

Don Waddill, owner of Performance Cycle in Denver, has hosted more than 20 blood drives at his store over the past two years. “I used to give blood on my own but got out of the habit,” he recalls. “I started to think there had to be other motorcyclists out there in the same situation, so we decided to create another outlet for donating.”

Before hosting your own drive, it’s helpful to assess just how many people within your office or organization
would be interested. Bonfils’ Web site includes printable information about the importance of blood donation and an interest poll to make this process quick and easy. Once you’ve gotten the word out, call Bonfils to get started.

“It’s really the easiest way to volunteer,” says Scott. “We just want people to give.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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