For whatever reason, some individuals are drifted away by the concept of giving blood.

There are fears that a blood donation will leave us deficient, leave us more prone to diseases and make us thin. It is just a myth and the fact is just the opposite. Blood donation is actually healthy for us. It ensures fresh blood production within our body and the donated blood is recovered within a short period of time. It is of utmost importance to have an idea of transfusion.

Somebody – a relative or someone very close to you – can be in dire need of blood any time and you have to donate if you meet the criteria. But it is always better for the donor to be a regular donor instead of donating when a crisis arises. It is an emergency (time is important). Every minute of every day, someone needs blood. That blood can only come from a volunteer donor, a person like you who makes the choice to donate. Blood transfusions are necessary to save the life of a person who has a blood disorder, some other disease, an accident, or surgery. There is no substitute for your donation.

What is blood and blood donation?
Blood is a liquid connective tissue which provides the fluid medium for various processes. Blood is the red coloured fluid flowing continuously in our body's circulatory system. About 1/12th of the body weight of a healthy individual is blood. On an average there are about 5 - 6 litres of blood present. Three types of cells - Red Blood Cells (RBCs), White Blood Cells (WBCs) and tiny platelets – form the cellular element.  It aids in respiration, expiration, maintaining body temperature and mainly acts as body scavengers and defence forces against organisms entering the body. Thus it is very important for the human body.

A loss of more than 30 per cent of the total blood of the body could be fatal. Such a loss can occur during major accidents, during delivery of a baby, abortion or even surgical operations. Thus, when a person is in need of blood, then this need is fulfilled by some other healthy person. This process is called blood donation. The person giving blood is called the blood donor and the one accepting it is called the recipient.

Blood donation processes
Giving blood is easy and takes a little over an hour. The process includes registering, giving a brief medical history, and having temperature, blood pressure, and haemoglobin checked. The actual donation takes less than 10 minutes and is relatively painless. Afterwards, you are invited to have some light refreshments to help restore body fluid levels.

There is no risk of contracting disease if you donate blood, because new, sterile equipment is used for each donor.  The donor is asked if he or she has ever had a condition that might disqualify him or her as a donor. Procedure: After the screening, the donor is seated in a special reclining chair. The person drawing the blood wraps a tourniquet around the donor's upper arm. By restricting the flow of blood returning from the hand to the heart, the veins become more prominent and easier to find. The person drawing the blood inserts a needle into the vein. The needle is attached to a collection bag. The donor then lies still and quietly while the blood is collected, which takes only about 10 minutes.

Only 350-450 ml of blood is collected from us. Remember, we have 5-6 litres of blood flowing through our body. The withdrawn volume is restored within 24 hours and the haemoglobin and cell components are restored in 5-8 weeks. Therefore, we can donate blood every three months. When the unit, or pint, of blood is collected, the needle is removed and an adhesive bandage placed over the spot where the needle had been inserted.The donor is asked to lie still for a few more moments, and then offered fluid to replenish himself or herself.

The whole procedure takes about an hour. The donated blood is sealed in a special plastic bag that contains substances that will keep it from clotting (anticoagulants) and will preserve it. Refrigerated, whole blood is useable for 42 days. Blood components, however, can be preserved for much longer--in the case of red blood cells, up to 10 years if frozen.

A sample of the donated blood is taken for testing. It is checked for infectious diseases and cross-checked for blood typing. Human blood falls into three major groups – A, B, and O. Type O blood can be received by persons with A, B, or AB blood (which is why Type O is sometimes called the "universal donor"), but a person with Type O blood can only receive Type O blood. It is also important to match the Rh factor of the blood, which can be positive or negative. If a person receives a donation of an incompatible blood type, the blood cells can clump together – a dangerous and possibly fatal situation.

Measures: Potential donors are evaluated for anything that might make their blood unsafe to use. The screening includes testing for diseases that can be transmitted by a blood transfusion, including HIV and viral hepatitis. 

Who can donate blood?  Anyone in good health can donate blood. The donor should be 18-60 years of age with a weight of 50 kg or above and pulse rate, body temperature and blood pressure should be normal. Both men and women can donate. There are only few conditions in which donors are excluded as below. Donors with certain diseases may donate blood after full recovery with a 3-6 months gap.

Who can’t donate blood?
(1) Individuals with a history of epilepsy, abnormal bleeding, asthma and cardiovascular problems.
(2) Pregnant, lactating and menstruating women.
(3) Individuals with a history of sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS
(4) Those suffering from diseases like jaundice, malaria, filaria, hepatitis, measles and syphilis. (5) People who have undergone surgery and blood transfusion.
(5) Individuals who have consumed alcohol.
(6) Individauls with cold, flu, fever or individuals who do not feel well (6) Consumption of drugs like Aspirin, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetics, corticosteroids etc.

Why blood is needed: One single donation can be split into three separate parts, helping save or improve the lives of patients. Just three teaspoons of blood can save the life of a premature baby. If you donate blood, you can help in saving the lives of many patients. Thousands of patients need blood transfusion to stay alive as in the following conditions in which there is deficient blood: Patients suffering from haemorrhage (bleeding) due to casualties, surgical procedures and labours (childbirth), haemophilic patients, chronic anaemia, bone marrow transplantation, neonatal jaundice, cancer, heart and blood vessel disease, disease of the gastrointestinal tract, emergencies such as car accidents, poisoning, shock and burns, etc.

Frequently asked questions
What are blood groups? Every individual has two types of blood groups. The first is called the ABO - grouping and the second type is called Rh grouping. In the ABO group there are four categories namely A, B, O and AB groups. In the Rh group either the individual is Rh-positive or Rh-negative. Thus each human being will fall in one of the following groups: A positive or A negative; B positive or B negative; O positive or O negative; AB positive or AB negative.

How is the matching done? For all practical and routine purposes, it is ideal to transfuse to the patient the same group of blood which he/she belongs to. It is only under very dire emergency that O group is taken as a universal donor and AB groups as a universal recipient. Under no circumstances can the O group get any other blood except O. Similarly A group patients cannot be given B group blood.  So A group receives blood type A and vice versa.

What happens to patients in transfusions with incompatible blood (mismatched blood)? First blood matching is checked very well and transfused patients are usually in the hospital and are being monitored in the process of transfusion. It is stopped only if there are signs and symptoms of shivering, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, pain, fever, shock, and if pulse and respiratory rates increase. 

Can the blood of animals be transfused to human beings? Scientists have tried a lot but so far they are not successful. Only the blood of a human being can be transfused to a human patient. Does the needle hurt? The needle is very small and there may be a little sting when the needle is inserted, but there should be no pain during the donation.

Does the donor suffer from any harmful effects after blood donation? Absolutely not. Rather a donor after having given blood voluntarily gets a feeling of great pleasure, peace and bliss. Soon, within a period of 24 - 48 hours, the same amount of new blood gets formed in the body, which helps the donor in many ways. His/her own body resistance improves, the circulation improves, and he/she feels healthier than before. It helps the donor know his/her health status. Studies have shown that men who donate blood on a regular basis have a lower risk of heart disease. With heart disease being the number one cause of death in males, this is, indeed, an important health benefit of donating blood.

Does a donor need to rest after donating blood? Yes. The donor needs rest, preferably lying down, so that the amount of blood that has been donated soon gets poured into the circulation from the body pools in a natural way. The donor should take it easy for about 15 - 20 minutes. Routine work is absolutely fine after the initial rest. Rigorous physical work should be avoided for a few hours.

Is there any other thing a donor should do after giving blood? After resting for a while a donor should take some liquid (fluid). It may be a cup of coffee or milk or fruit juice along with a few biscuits or fruit.  A routine balanced diet is adequate. How frequently can a donor donate blood? Red cells need about four to eight weeks for complete replacement so three months between donations is a very safe interval.

Can anybody in the body group donate and do I have enough blood to donate? Yes. All blood types are considered necessary every day of the year. You don't have enough blood to donate. Not true! Only one pint of blood is taken. The average adult has 10 to 12 pints of blood in his or her body. Your body makes new blood constantly, so it doesn't take long for the blood volume to be replaced.        

Conclusion
Donating blood may not only benefit the person who received the blood cells but may also improve the health of the donor. An hour spent relaxing in a chair every three months is all it takes. Blood donation helps save the life of a person and it can bring back a person from the jaws of death. Giving blood is quick and painless. It is not hazardous and is completely safe, because a new, sterile, dispensable syringe is used for each donor. Therefore, there is no risk of getting any disease by donating blood. Blood donation is a noble, selfless service! It is an expression of one’s faith and genuine love for mankind, as blood knows no caste, colour, creed, religion/race, country, continent or sex. Contact Mr E G Sarr, Head of the Blood Donation Unit, RVTH on 9930979 or any other certified agent for blood donation.

Reviewed and Approved by GMDC. Comments, Opinion or Support, write to unigamsapress@yahoo.com