Blood Donation FAQs
Who should not donate Blood?
- People who are suffering from any illness and are not in good health, anyone under the influence of alcohol or any one taking drug
- Ladies during menstruation, pregnancy, breast-feeding and 6 months after delivery
- A person having any lesion/injection scar at the puncture site (indication of drug addiction or professional blood seller)
- Persons who are immunised with live vaccines are debarred for 4 weeks
- Within 3 months after treatment for infection with malaria
- Within 3 days after taking aspirin
- Donors who have received blood components during preceding 3 months
- Within 6 months after any major operation and 3months after minor operations
- Anyone positive for HIV/Jaundice/sexually transmitted diseases
Who can donate blood?
- "ME, YOU & WE"
- Any healthy person of either sex between the ages 18 to 60
- Men can donate once in 3 months and women once in 4 months
- The donor should have body weight of more than 45 kgs
- The haemoglobin content should be above 12.5 gms/dl
- The systolic blood pressure should be between 100 and 140 mm of mercury and then diastolic pressure should be between 70 to 100 mm of mercury
- A person has about 65-80 ml of blood per kg of their body weight and can safely donate 6-8ml of blood/kg
- It will not hurt more than a prick of an injection needle
- It will not take more than 20 minutes to donate blood including the time required for recuperation of donated blood
Tips for a good donation experience
Before Donating
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Have a good breakfast or lunch
- Drink extra water and fluids to replace the volume you will donate (avoid tea, coffee, or other beverages with caffeine)
- Eat iron-rich foods — red meat, fish, poultry or liver, beans, iron-fortified cereals, raisins and prunes
- Avoid fatty foods, such as hamburgers, fries, or ice cream before donating. Tests for infections done on all donated blood can be affected by fatty materials — lipids — that appear in your blood for several hours after eating fatty foods. When this occurs and required testing cannot be performed, the blood may need to be discarded
During the Donation
- Wear clothing with sleeves that can be raised above the elbow
- Show the staff any "good veins" that have been used successfully in the past to draw blood
- Relax
- Take the time to enjoy a snack and a drink in the refreshments area immediately after donating
- Rehydrate by drinking plenty of fluids over the next 24-48 hours
- Avoid strenuous physical activity or heavy lifting for about five hours after donation
- If you feel light headed, lie down, preferably with feet elevated, until the feeling passes
- In rare cases when bleeding occurs after removing the bandage, apply pressure to the site and raise your arm for 3-5 minutes; if bleeding or bruising occurs under the skin, apply a cold pack to the area periodically during the first 24 hours
- If for any reason, something doesn’t feel right, call the nearest blood bank or hospital after your donation
- Enjoy the good feeling that comes with knowing that you may have saved as many as three lives
No comments:
Post a Comment