Frequently Asked Questions About Blood Donation

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Blood has been rightly called the river of life. In case of a sudden loss of blood by the body, as happens in injuries, internal bleeding, and surgeries, the life of the person is under threat. In case, blood is not replaced immediately, the patient may not live for long.

Key facts:

Half of the global blood collections take place in high-income countries, home to just 19% of the world’s population.
The major recipients of blood are children under 5 years of age and old people over 65 years of age.

What is blood donation/blood transfusion?

Blood donation is the process of giving away a small volume of blood from your body under medical supervision. It is performed so that the blood can be collected and then provided to a person in need. The process of administering collected blood to a recipient is called a blood transfusion.

Why blood of only selected people can be given to a recipient?

Though the blood of all humans is largely similar in composition, there are some differences in specific antigens (structures responsible for allergy) leading to a grouping of people, i.e. those having similar antigens can receive blood from the same group of people. If other group's blood is given to the recipient, allergy which can be life-threatening would develop. Thus, it is important to know one's, blood group. There is a simple lab test that can clearly tell you your blood group in minutes.

How does blood donation affect the donor?

With modern sterilization, screening, and counseling process the risks involved are generally few.
If you're a healthy adult, you can usually donate a pint of blood without endangering your health. Within 24 hours of a blood donation, the body replaces the lost fluids. And after several weeks, the body replaces the lost red blood cells. After donating one sits in an observation area, where one rests and eats a light snack. After 15 minutes, one can leave.

More than 90% of healthy blood donors do not experience weakness. A small fraction of blood donors may feel transient weakness, which usually relaxes in a few minutes or hours and with adequate nutrition.

For the first time, blood donors may be more prone to feeling weak. Some blood banks take very little blood (such as 10 ml to 50 ml) from such people. Donating a full 400 ml blood is not mandatory for everyone.
The small amount of blood that is collected is also used in the needy patients. Unlike adults, only a few ml of blood is usually transfused to young children.

Who can donate blood?

Adults who are in good health, have good weight, and those who pass the physical and health-history assessments. Voluntary unpaid donors are the safest group of donors as the risk of getting blood-borne infections is lowest from this group.
Not everyone can donate blood. Only fit people are chosen for blood donation.

Where can one donate blood? Where is blood tested for safety, processed, and stored?

All the above activities happen in a place called blood bank. Sometimes the bank may organize field-based camps. The donated blood is tested for safety and sometimes broken down into fractions like packed cells, plasma or transfused as it is (whole blood).

When can one re-donate blood the next time?

Different agencies recommend slightly different timelines ranging from a period of 2-4 months. One can check with the respective blood bank about the policy.

There is no service of humanity better than blood donation. But I request you to share accurate details about your health in the screening questionnaire, every time before donating so that it is safe for you along with the recipient as well.

About the author: Dr. Naval Asija is a licensed MBBS Physician from India. MBBS is the equivalent of the MD degree offered by international medical schools. He is based in Delhi, India, and works as a medical writer, editor, and consultant. He supports medical researches as an author's editor, medical communication companies involved in medico-marketing activities, and medical technology companies in improving their products. He can be contacted via his LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/navalasija/

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