Why Donate Blood?

Why is it so important that I give blood?

Many people consider it a right to receive blood when needed, but don't often consider the responsibility of giving blood to maintain the community supply for others. To meet patient need, the Red Cross must collect over 6 million blood donations each year.

Some areas of the country need more blood than they are able to collect, while others can collect more than they need. Most large medical centers transfuse more blood than what is donated by the local residents. Areas with major medical centers and hospitals which serve patients from all over the world always need blood.

The Red Cross has a nationwide system of sharing blood donations based on patient need. Despite this sophisticated system of sharing, there are parts of the country that have chronic blood shortages. Those shortages would be eliminated if more healthy people would give blood.

For our family, our friends, and for strangers in need, we must share blood resources. We need more donors, and we need donors to give blood more often. If half the people who donate one time a year were to donate a second time, we would not have shortages of blood.

Why do blood shortages occasionally happen?

Medical advances have improved the treatment of serious illness and injury. These advances have increased the need for blood products to support a patient through recovery. Also, "baby boomers", who make up the majority of blood donors, are aging. As they grow older, fewer are eligible to give blood, yet more of them need blood as their health declines.

Unfortunately, people do not donate enough blood to keep up with the needs of patients. In 1998-1999, we needed to collect nearly 218,000 blood donations in our region (Badger-Hawkeye). This is an increase of 18,000 over the previous year.

Why is there a special need for type O blood?

Type O negative blood is called the "universal blood type" because it can be transfused to people of all blood types. Type O positive can be given to anyone with a positive Rh factor.

In an emergency, a person may need blood to survive. If their blood type is not known, type O negative blood is given to them. When emergency situations such as car accidents or shootings occur, type O negative blood inventories can be used up quickly. In addition, infants who require transfusions immediately after birth often need type O negative blood. The Red Cross especially needs to provide an adequate supply of type O negative blood to treat emergencies in the community.

Does the Red Cross pay donors?

No. All Red Cross blood donors are voluntary, non-remunerated donors. They donate primarily because it makes them feel good to help save lives.

Does the Red Cross sell blood?

No. The Red Cross serves as a conduit between a volunteer blood donor and a patient who needs blood to survive a personal disaster.

There is never a fee for blood itself. The Red Cross charges its hospital customers and processing fee to recover expenses incurred in recruiting and educating donors, keep accurate donor records, collecting, testing, processing and distributing blood. Hospitals charge patients for handling, storing, and transfusing blood or blood components. These charges help to offset the costs of making blood transfusions as safe as possible and are usually covered by health insurance.

How will my blood be used?

Blood is almost never used in its whole form. Most patients requiring transfusions only need one or two of the many components that make up blood. It would be wasteful and sometimes harmful to give the patient blood components they do not need.

More than 99% of the whole blood collected in this region is separated into blood components that can be used to treat the specific medial needs of three or more people. Below are some of the products derived from whole blood:

Red blood cells carry oxygen and are needed by surgical patients or to treat those with anemia. Red blood cells can also be washed and filtered to prevent adverse reactions in some sensitive patients. Sometimes rare blood cell types are frozen to extend their storage period and help ensure that an adequate supply is always available.

Platelet concentrates are fragile blood cells that are an important part of the body's clotting system. They are used to control bleeding in the course of treatment of leukemia and other forms of cancer.

Plasma is the yellow liquid portion of blood. It restores fluid volume in patients who have suffered from shock and provides a source of clotting proteins that stop bleeding.

Cryoprecipitate is a part of plasma that contains certain clotting factors found in whole blood. It is used to treat clotting deficiencies like those found in people with hemophilia..

Fractionation is the process of breaking down plasma. When plasma gets mixed with certain chemicals, proteins can be separated and processed into products that are stable and easily stored. Some of the more common fractions are:

Albumin: used in the treatment of certain kidney and liver disease. Because this product is easy to store and administer, it is used in the treatment of emergency cases like accident or shock vicitms.

Gamma globulin: contains antibodies and is able to modify or prevent measles and other infectious diseases such as some varieties of hepatitis.

Factor VIII: concentrates are used for treatment of patients with hemophilia.