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World Blood Donor Day Blog

Everything You Need to Know about Blood Donation

Jun 12th, 2023

Posts Tagged ‘ blood donation ’

Everything You Need to Know about Blood Donation

Monday, June 12th, 2023

Have you every donated your blood? Blood donation plays a crucial role in saving lives and improving the health of patients in need. Your selfless act can make a significant impact and create a ripple effect of compassion and humanity in the world. Statistics suggest that out of every five Indians, one does not want to donate blood out of fear or danger to the body. Let us delve into the details of blood donation and inspire more and more Indians to donate blood regularly.

Who is eligible to Donate Blood?

To ensure the safety of both donors and recipients, specific criteria must be met. This includes:

  • Age
    Donor should be over 18 and under 65.
  • Weight
    Donor should have a minimum weight of 50 kgs.
  • Good health
    Donor should not suffer from acute respiratory diseases or have any kind of illness at the time of donation.
  • Haemoglobin level
    Donor should have a minimum haemoglobin level of 12.5 grams
  • Health conditions
    The donors blood pressure and blood sugar levels must be under control.
  • Women
    Female donors should not be menstruating or lactating. They shouldn’t donate for 6 months after an abortion and 12 months after delivery.  
  • High risk
    Persons considered at risk of HIV and Hepatitis B or C should not donate.
  • Interval
    It is required that female donors should give a gap of 120 days and male donors, a gap of 90 days between blood donations. 
  • Chronic conditions
    Donors should check with their doctor for any specific health conditions.

What is the importance of Blood Donation?

Blood donation holds immense importance as it serves as a lifeline for countless individuals in need. By donating blood, you have the power to save lives and improve the health of patients facing various medical challenges. In emergency situations such as accidents and natural disasters, blood transfusions can mean the difference between life and death. Every drop of blood you donate has the potential to bring hope, comfort, and a second chance at life to someone in need.

Who requires a Blood Donation?

Blood is needed by diverse groups and in various situations, including:

  • Trauma and accident victims
    People involved in accidents or experiencing severe injuries may require large amounts of blood to stabilize their condition.
  • Surgery patients
    Individuals undergoing major surgeries such as a heart surgery or a joint replacement surgery often need blood transfusions to replace lost blood during the procedure.
  • Childbirth
    Women who have serious complications during pregnancy or childbirth.
  • Cancer patients
    Many cancer treatments can damage blood cells, necessitating blood transfusions to support the patient’s weakened immune system.
  • Patients with blood disorders
    Individuals with conditions like hemophilia or sickle cell disease often need blood transfusions to manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.

How can one prepare for Blood Donation?

Giving blood is a simple and effective way to give back to humanity. To have a successful and comfortable blood donation experience, individuals should:

  • Eat a nutritious meal and drink plenty of fluids beforehand.
  • Get a good night’s sleep.
  • Wear comfortable clothes with sleeves that can be easily rolled up above the elbow.
  • Bring a valid id proof and any required medical information.
  • Stay away from alcohol and tobacco before the donation.

What are the side effects of Donating Blood?

There aren’t any lasting side effects, but it is advisable to:

  • Stay hydrated and increase your fluid intake.
  • Don’t work out or do any hard physical activity for 24 hours after giving blood.
  • Lie down for a few minutes if you feel lightheaded.
  • Use an ice pack for swelling.
  • Consult a doctor for any unusual symptoms.

Blood Donation at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital

The Department of Transfusion Medicine at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai uses cutting-edge technology and advanced procedures to process and screen blood and its constituent parts. Your safety is of utmost importance at all times and we follow stringent infection control practices at all times. The use of sterile equipment is always ensured by our team of doctors and nurses, who also see to the patient’s comfort. Call our Blood Bank on 022-42699896 to donate blood. For further information, please visit: https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/clinicaldepartments/transfusionmedicine.html

Give The Gift of Life, Donate Blood

Monday, June 13th, 2022

Every Indian has a moral obligation to donate blood and participate in voluntary blood donation camps. Statistics suggest that India is in requirement of blood transfusion every two seconds. Blood should be waiting for the patient rather than the patient waiting for blood, as it is often too late to find a donor. It is the responsibility of the entire community to keep blood banks full all the time.

In India, access to safe blood has been a persistent issue for many years. Every year, around 11 million blood donations are collected in India, compared to the required 13.5 million for the country’s 1.35 billion population (1%), leaving a shortfall of nearly 2 million. Blood shortages may prove detrimental to those who need an urgent supply of blood such as those with thalassaemia, victims of road accidents, and bleeding during pregnancy and childbirth. With increased awareness and participation together we can increase the blood donation numbers.

Why Blood Donation is important?

There is a constant need for a regular supply of blood as it can be stored only for a limited period of time before use. A sufficient number of healthy people must donate blood on a regular basis to ensure that blood is always available whenever and wherever it is required. Apart from road accidents, patients also require blood for cancer treatment, orthopaedic surgery, cardiovascular surgeries, childbirth and for inherited blood disorders.

Who is eligible to Donate Blood?

Adults who are in good health can donate blood on a regular basis — once every three months. Speak to your doctor if you have any doubts about blood donation. To become a blood donor, there are a few basic standards that must be met, these include:

  • Weight should not be less than 45 kgs.
  • Age should be between 18 and 65.
  • Blood pressure, pulse and temperature should be normal.
  • Haemoglobin should be not less than 12.5 grams.
  • The donor should not have had any immunization in 15 days preceding the blood donation.
  • No tattoos should have been done anywhere on the body for 1 year.
  • The donor should not be having any form of cancer.
  • The donor must not be suffering from any infectious diseases
  • Some medications may prevent a person from donating blood.
  • Breastfeeding women cannot donate blood.

Facts about Blood Donation

Here are a few important things to note about blood donations:

  • A single pint of blood can help save up to 3 patients.
  • Donating blood is a safe process and a new sterile needle is used for each donor.
  • The average adult has about 10 units of blood in his body and about 1 unit is given during a donation.

Precautions before a Blood Donation  

Have you signed up to make a blood donation? Follow these healthy tips for a comfortable and healthy experience:

  • Eat iron-rich foods that include red meat, eggs, whole grains, and dark green vegetables like spinach starting a week or two before you donate.
  • Get plenty of sleep the night before you plan to donate.
  • Eat a healthy meal before your donation.
  • Increase your fluid intake not only on the day of your donation, but also on the day before and the day after. This will help you stay hydrated.
  • Check to see if any medications you are taking or recently took would prevent you from donating.
  • Wear a shirt or a top with short sleeves.

Precautions after a Blood Donation   

A person can resume daily activities within a few hours of donating blood. Here are a few additional tips for better recovery:

  • Keep your bandage on for a minimum of 4 hours.
  • Make sure that you eat or drink something before you leave the Blood donation camp.
  • You must drink extra fluids in the first 4 hours following a blood donation and continue it for the next few days.
  • For the next 12 hours after a blood donation, avoid lifting of heavy objects and performing any kind of strenuous exercises.
  • If you experience any kind of dizziness, please sit down and place your head between your knees or lie down with your legs elevated. Remain in this position till you feel better.
  • If you notice any swelling, consult your doctor for further assistance.
  • Avoid smoking and consumption of alcohol after giving blood.

Blood Donation at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital

This “World Blood Donor Day” be a part of this noble deed and visit our Blood Bank for making a blood donation. The Blood Bank at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment that uses advanced techniques for processing and screening of blood and its components. All the donated units are screened for infectious diseases before the transfusion. Feel free to visit us or call us on +91-22-30937293 for any blood donation queries. Refer the below link for further details: https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/clinicaldepartments/transfusionmedicine.html

Organ Donation 2021

Friday, August 13th, 2021

Organ donation is donating an organ to someone in need of a transplant. In India, there is a wide gap between the demand and supply of organs. Every year around 4 lakh people see an untimely death in India while waiting for a transplant due to inadequate infrastructure, a lack of willingness, and, most crucially, a lack of understanding of the process. As per World Health Organization, only around 0.01 percent of people in India donate their organs after death. Some of the reasons behind such poor performance are lack of public awareness, religious or superstitious beliefs among people or personal inhibitions. It is time to change this perception and increase the awareness about organ donation. Living or deceased, organ donation is one of the most impactful things you can ever do, and there are patients who need you right now.

Organ donation – Eligibility

Anyone can register a decision to become an organ donor after death. To donate organs after death, a person needs to die in hospital in specific circumstances. Medical professionals decide in each individual case whether a person’s organs and tissue are suitable for donation. Here are a few things to note:

  • Age limit
    There is no age limit for becoming an organ donor. The decision about whether some or all organs or tissue are suitable for transplant is always made by medical specialists at the time of donation.
  • Medical conditions
    Most medical conditions allow a person to become an organ or tissue donor. Speak to your doctor to know more about this.
  • Smoking and organ donation
    Smoking does not make you ineligible for organ donation. Specialist healthcare professionals will decide whether a person’s organs and tissue are suitable for donation.
  • Alcohol and Organ Donation
    Drinking alcohol does not prevent you from becoming an organ donor. However, a heavy alcohol intake might affect your ability to donate some organs. Doctors will decide your eligibility at the time of donation.

Always remember to inform your family about your decision of organ donation as hospitals seek consent from the family before the donation.

What organs can be donated?

One organ donor can help up to eight transplant recipients. Organs that can be donated from one donor include heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, lungs and intestines. One tissue donor can help up to 50 people. Cornea donors give the gift of sight to two people. Skin donors help burn victims recover from traumatic injuries. Bone, heart valve, ligaments and tendon donors help many people return to health. 

Organ donation – Myths and Facts

Myth: Only the deceased can donate organs.
Fact: Living donors are crucial as well.  The popularity of living-organ donation—particularly for kidneys has increased a lot in the recent years, as people are becoming more aware.

Myth: Doctors won’t try as hard to save my life if I am an organ donor.
Facts: When you go to the hospital for treatment, doctors focus on saving your life and giving you the best care possible. Being a registered organ donor makes no different to your treatment.

Myth: Organ donation is against my religion.
Fact: Organ donation is consistent with the beliefs of most major religions. If you’re unsure of or uncomfortable with your faith’s position on organ donation, speak to a religious head to know more.

Myth: I’m too old for organ donation.
Fact: There’s no defined cut-off age for donating organs. The decision to use your organs is based on strict medical criteria. Let the doctors decide at the time of your death whether your organs and tissues are suitable for transplantation.

Myth: My medical condition does not allow organ donation.
Fact: Very few medical conditions automatically disqualify you from donating organs. Let medical professionals at the time of your death determine whether your organs are suitable for transplantation.

Myth: Rich and famous get priority for organ donation.
Fact: No one receives preferential treatment on the transplant waiting list. A transplant candidate is prioritized by blood type, tissue or organ needed, medical urgency, and the cumulative time they have been there on the waiting list.

Myth: My family will be charged if I donate my organs.
Fact: The organ donors family is never charged for donation. The family is charged for the costs of all final efforts to save your life, and those costs are sometimes misinterpreted as costs related to organ donation. The organ removal cost goes to the transplant recipient.

Why you should consider organ donation

Registering to be an organ donor is giving hope to someone. Raise awareness about organ donation among your family and friends & encourage people to take a pledge for this noble deed. Donating one’s organs is the biggest gift & it can save someone’s precious life. By donating your organs and tissue after you die, you can save or improve as many as 75 lives. It’s time to come together and close the gap between the number of eligible donors and the number of people on the waiting list. Let us spread love and hope with organ donation. To register as an organ donor, give a missed call on 8882110088. Please visit the below website for further information: https://organdonationday.in

World Blood Donor Day

Thursday, June 11th, 2020

Blood donation happens when a person voluntarily agrees for his or her blood to be extracted and donated to a person in need. It is a noble deed that helps humanity.  Donated blood can be used for an emergency transfusion or can be separated into individual components to be used later. Donating Blood is a safe and easy process and helps save many lives.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India suffers from an annual deficit of two million blood units, as only 1% of the Indian population donates blood each year. India faced a shortage of 1.95 million units of blood in 2019.

Who needs Blood Transfusions?
Blood transfusions are a critical part of everyday medicine. A person may need a blood transfusion for a variety of reasons. The most common situations include:

  • Surgeries
  • Accidents and Trauma
  • Childbirth complications
  • Organ Transplant
  • Cancer therapies
  • Thalassemia patients
  • Sickle cell anaemia patients

Blood Donation Process

The complete blood donation process which includes all the registration and formalities takes about an hour. The donation itself is only about 15 minutes. Here is the blood donation process:

  • If you’re donating whole blood, the area on your arm is cleansed and a sterile needle is used to extract blood.
  • The blood donor is seated comfortably or lying down.
  • Once the blood donation is complete a bandage is placed on your arm.
  • Platelet donation is slightly different from giving a whole-blood donation.

During the platelet donation, blood is removed from one arm, and then a centrifuge separates out the platelets. The rest of the blood then returns to the donor through the other arm.

Who can Donate Blood?
Most people can give blood if they are in good health.

What makes you Eligible:

  • Any donor, who is healthy, fit and not suffering from any transmittable diseases can donate blood.
  • The Donor must be 18 -60 years age and should weigh minimum 50 kgs.
  • The Donor’s Haemoglobin level must be 12.5g/dl minimum.
  • A donor can again donate blood after 3 months of the last donation.
  • Pulse rate must be between 50 to 100mm without any irregularities.
  • Blood Pressure Diastolic 50 to 100 mm Hg and Systolic 100 to 180 mm Hg.
  • Body temperature should be normal.

What makes you Non-Eligible:

  • Patients of cardiac arrest, hypertension, kidney disease or epilepsy.
  • Consumption of alcohol within the last 24 hours.
  • HIV + status
  • Having a cold, flu, sore throat, or any other infection.
  • Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers cannot donate blood.

Myths and Facts

Every year there is a shortage in the actual demand and supply of Blood donations across India. There are many misconceptions regarding blood donations that must be cleared. Here are a few myths and facts about blood donation:
Myth #1: Giving blood hurts.
Fact: The only pain you’ll feel is the quick prick of the needle when it is inserted. The area may be slightly sore afterward, but this settles in a few hours.

Myth #2: Blood donation increases the risk of infections.
Fact: A new sterile needle is used each time someone donates blood and is then immediately discarded. Strict procedures are followed to avoid any kind of infection.

Myth #3: I can’t give blood because I have high cholesterol.
Fact: Having high cholesterol does not disqualify you from donating blood, as long as you are otherwise healthy. Consult your doctor for more details.

Myth #4: I can’t give blood because I am on medication.
Fact: As long as you are healthy, most medications will not disqualify you from donating blood. Speak to your doctor to clear your doubts about this.

Myth #5: Blood donation takes a lot of time.
Fact:  The whole procedure of blood donation from the time of registration takes less than 1 hour.

Myth #6: Blood donation lowers your immunity.
Fact: This is completely false. Your body’s immunity level is not affected by blood donation.

Myth #7: Donating blood frequently causes an iron deficiency.
Fact: No, a healthy individual with good eating habits can donate blood four times a year with a gap of three months. It does not affect your iron levels.

Blood Group Types
There are eight different blood types, and they’re not always compatible with each other. People who have O-negative blood are considered universal donors for the entire population. Here are the further details for quick reference:

Blood Donation and COVID-19

Does COVID-19 spread through blood donations?

No, this is a reparatory illness and does not spread by blood transfusion.

Anyone who is not showing any symptoms of COVID-19 currently or has not come in contact with a patient of COVID 19, can donate blood. The fear of the current pandemic and the lockdown has seen a reduction in the number of blood donors. It has caused an unprecedented shortage of blood in the blood bank. There is no substitute for blood. Donate blood, help save lives.

Take these precautions when you go for Blood Donation:

  • Take an appointment to avoid crowds.
  • Wear a mask.
  • Carry a hand sanitizer and use it frequently.
  • Maintain social distancing while at the hospital.

The Blood Bank at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, and use advanced techniques for processing and screening of blood and its components. We follow a stringent check on all samples before blood transfusion. Donating blood now is more important than ever before. Call our Blood Bank on 022-30937293 to donate blood. Please find below link for further details:

https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/clinicaldepartments/transfusionmedicine/blooddonation.html