When you donate a pint of blood, you could be helping more than one patient. A pint of blood can produce two or three of the following transfusable products:. Depending upon the type of donation process, a donor can either donate whole blood, which contains all four components, or donate only a specific component through a process known as apheresis.
A single apheresis platelet donation provides one transfusion dose, which otherwise would have needed to be extracted from five individual whole blood donations. Because of their short shelf life of five days after being collected, platelet donations are constantly needed by blood banks to be ready when needed. Red blood cells also have a short shelf life and need to be used within 42 days of being collected.
Plasma and cryoprecipitate can be frozen and stored for up to a year after being donated. The actual blood donation only takes minutes. The most common type of donation is about a pint of whole blood, which is separated into these three components: Red blood cells — This is the component of blood that you may think of because these cells give blood its distinctive red color.
Red blood cells are used when a person is bleeding and needs blood replenished. Platelets — They are used to prevent or stop active bleeding. Plasma — This is the liquid portion of your blood. Plasma, which is full of clotting factors, is used to stop bleeding.
How blood products are used in health care Blood products are used every day in health care. There are three main reasons why people don't donate regularly: Infection — Some people are concerned that a donation will put them at risk for infection.
A new sterile collection set, including the needle, is used for each donor. That means there is no risk of getting an infection or disease from needle use when donating blood. Worsening medical conditions — Others worry that donating will wear them out or worsen a current medical condition.
Each person is screened and evaluated carefully to make sure that he or she can donate blood safely. Also, a typical donation is about one pint of blood and your body has between 10 and 12 pints. You have more than enough remaining blood in your body to transport nutrients and oxygen throughout your body and fight infection. It's important to know your blood type—whether you're a donor or a patient in need of blood products.
You may be surprised to learn how many people will benefit from your generous gift, no matter what type you have. See how common or rare various types of blood are in the U. Whatever your blood type, we encourage you to donate.
Everyone who is eligible can donate blood, but depending on your blood type, you're only able to receive certain types of blood, plasma or platelets. There are eight different blood types, and they're not always compatible with each other. Interestingly, people who have O-negative blood are considered universal donors for the entire population. When it comes to blood components, compatibility is the opposite of whole blood.
Donors with Type AB blood are the universal donors of platelets and plasma. There are no substitutes for blood, platelets or plasma—they cannot be manufactured. Patients in need of blood or blood products must rely on donations from people like you. Those who are hesitant about donating blood for the first time often find that the donation process is easy and that saving lives is deeply gratifying. There's a critical shortage of blood and blood products in the Los Angeles area and across the country.
You can save lives with just 1 pint of blood. Organizing a group of people to generously donate blood is a wonderful way to give back and help those in need. Recently donated blood? Please take the blood donor survey.
Pacific Time U. Skip to content. Back to Blood Donor Services. Meet the Team. Can I Donate Blood? Facts About Blood Donation. Host a Community Blood Drive. Send Us a Message. The person will donate one unit of blood, and this will take 6—10 minutes.
The whole process will take around 45—60 minutes. The donor will usually need to wait for 10—15 minutes before leaving, during which time they will receive some refreshments.
If the needle prick is bleeding after donation, the donor should apply pressure and raise the arm for 3—5 minutes. If there is bruising or bleeding under the skin, they can apply a cold pack intermittently for 24 hours, then alternate with warm packs. It takes only 24 hours for the body to replenish its plasma, but it can take 4—6 weeks to replace the missing blood. For this reason, most people cannot donate more than once every 8 weeks.
According to the American Red Cross , someone in the U. Around 6. Donating blood can be a worthwhile and rewarding activity. It involves a low level of risk and may offer advantages to some people.
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