Blood is the lifeline of the body. There is no substitute for blood. It can be replaced only by transfusing blood. Blood cannot be manufactured. One has to donate blood to give life to the one in need.
You need to be 18-65 years old, weigh 45 kg or more and pre-donation hemoglobin level above 12.5 g/dl.
A healthy individual (male or female) can donate blood once in 90 days subject to acceptable level of pre-donation Hemoglobin concentration.
Don’t panic. Normal hemoglobin level for adult female is 11 – 15 g/dl while for adult male is 12 – 16 g/dl.
Eat food that is rich in iron content. For eg., green leafy vegetables, nuts, dates, red meat, liver, sea food etc.
Your comfort and safety are our top priorities. Donating blood is a very safe process. Each donor’s blood is collected through a new, sterile needle that is used once and then discarded.
Blood transfusion has been made safer by transfusing only the needed component of the blood to
the patients (viz.) RBCs for those who are anemic and those undergoing surgery,
Platelets for those children and adults whose platelet count is low due to disease or medication
they received.
Plasma for those with burn injuries or bleeding problems.
Cryoprecipitate is required on a continuous basis for the management of Hemophilia. This
approach also helps in optimal use of available blood.
| Type of component | Shelf life | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Packed Red Blood cell Concentrate (PRBC) | Upto 42 days | 2 - 6oC |
| Platelets | Upto 5 days with agitation | 22 - 24oC |
| Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) Cryoprecipitate | Upto 1 year | < -30oC |
When stored as whole blood, the clotting factors in the plasma lose their efficacy by 8 hours and the platelets lose their function within few hours. Hence the need to use the blood as components stored at appropriate conditions.
Blood transfusion can never be 100% safe. What is safe today may not be safer tomorrow as current knowledge is subject to change. However, Blood Banks are expected to ensure the safety of donors and recepients by judicious donor selection and by stringent screening of the donor blood for diseases known to be transmitted at that point of time. Currently law recommends testing of each unit of donated blood (not the donor prior to donation) for Hepatitis B (HBsAg), Hepatitis C (Anti-HCV antibody), HIV (Anti-HIV 1&2 antibodies), RPR for syphilis and Malaria.
It is assumed that if the blood of the donor and the recipient belong to the same group they will match. But in reality it is not so. Apart from A, B, and O group antigens there are many other blood group antigens on the red cell surface of every human being. Under normal circumstances a full panel cross-match is done before every unit is released for transfusion. This approximately takes about 30-60 minutes.
In the event of emergencies and if the clinician requests for blood components without full panel cross match, the same is issued. However, a full panel cross made match is done after issuing the unit to ensure that every transfusion is safe.
Even though the blood is obtained from voluntary blood donors, the subsidized cost of collection, screening, processing and storage has to be borne by the recipients. UYIR THULI Blood Bank is not a profit motivated organization but is dependent on this income for its functioning.