BLOOD DONATION

Overview

Blood donation is a voluntary procedure that can help save lives. There are several types of blood donation. Each type helps meet different medical needs.

Whole blood donation

Whole blood donation is the most common type of blood donation. During this donation, you donate about a pint (about half a liter) of whole blood. The blood is then separated into its components — red cells, plasma and sometimes platelets.

Apheresis

During apheresis, you are hooked up to a machine that collects and separates different parts of your blood. These blood components include red cells, plasma and platelets. The machine then returns the remaining parts of the blood back to you.

Platelet donation (plateletpheresis) collects only platelets. Platelets are the cells that help stop bleeding by clumping and forming plugs in blood vessels (clotting).

Donated platelets are commonly given to people with clotting problems or cancer and people who will have organ transplants or major surgeries.

Double red cell donation allows you to donate a concentrated amount of red blood cells. Red blood cells deliver oxygen to your organs and tissues.

Donated red blood cells are typically given to people with severe blood loss, such as after an injury or accident, and people with anemia (low hemoglobin).

Plasma donation (plasmapheresis) collects the liquid portion of the blood (plasma). Plasma helps blood clot and contains antibodies that help fight off infections.

Plasma is commonly given to people in emergency and trauma situations to help stop bleeding.

Products & Services

Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th Edition

Why it's done

You agree to have blood drawn so that it can be given to someone who needs a blood transfusion.

Millions of people need blood transfusions each year. Some may need blood during surgery. Others depend on it after an accident or because they have a disease that requires certain parts of blood. Blood donation makes all of this possible. There is no substitute for human blood — all transfusions use blood from a donor.

Risks

Blood donation is safe. New, sterile disposable equipment is used for each donor, so there's no risk of getting a bloodborne infection by donating blood.

Most healthy adults can donate a pint (about half a liter) safely, without health risks. Within a few days of a blood donation, your body replaces the lost fluids. And after two weeks, your body replaces the lost red blood cells.

How you prepare

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible to donate whole blood, plasma or platelets, you must be:

In good health.

At least 16 or 17 years old, depending on the law in your state. Some states allow legal minors to donate with parent permission. While there's no legal upper age limit, policies may vary between individual donor centers.

At least 110 pounds (about 50 kilograms).

Able to pass the physical and health-history assessments.

Eligibility requirements differ slightly among different types of blood donation.

Food and medications

Before your blood donation:

Get plenty of sleep the night before you plan to donate.

Eat a healthy meal before your donation. Avoid fatty foods, such as a hamburger, fries or ice cream.

Drink plenty of water before the donation.

Check to see if any medications you are taking or recently took would prevent you from donating. For example, if you are a platelet donor, you must not take aspirin for two days prior to donating. Talk to a member of your health care team before you stop taking any medications in order to donate blood.

Wear a shirt with sleeves that can be rolled up.

What you can expect

Before the procedure

Before you can donate blood, you will be asked to fill out a confidential medical history. It includes questions about behaviors known to carry a higher risk of bloodborne infections — infections that are transmitted through blood.

Because of the risk of bloodborne infections, not everyone can donate blood. The following are groups that are not eligible to donate blood:

Anyone who has used injected drugs, steroids or another substance not prescribed by a health care provider in the past three months

Men who have had sexual contact with other men in the past three months

Anyone who has a congenital coagulation factor deficiency

Anyone who has had a positive test for HIV

Anyone who has engaged in sex for money or drugs in the past three months

Anyone who, in the past 12 months, has had close contact with — lived with or had sexual contact with — a person who has viral hepatitis

Anyone who has had babesiosis, a rare and severe tick-borne disease, or the parasitic infection Chagas' disease

You will also have a brief physical exam. The exam includes checking your blood pressure, pulse and temperature. A small sample of blood is taken from a finger prick and is used to check the oxygen-carrying part of your blood (hemoglobin level). If your hemoglobin concentration is within a healthy range, and you've met all the other screening requirements, you can donate blood.