What you should know about blood donation

This week we marked the World Blood Donor Day with a call to “Give blood and keep the world beating.”

This comes amid concerted efforts in Kenya to mobilise blood donation to meet the increasing demand for blood transfusion.

To appreciate the impact of your blood donation, I will answer some of the frequently asked questions on blood donation:

What are the different blood donations and why are they key?

- Whole blood: This entails donating a pint (about half a litre) of blood. This is the most common type of blood donation worldwide as it is flexible.  This blood is meant for patients requiring whole blood transfusion.

- Platelet donation: This type of donation only collects platelets and returns unused components back to the donor. Donated platelets are commonly given to patients with clotting problems or cancer and people undergoing organ transplants, or major surgeries. Platelets help stop bleeding by clumping and forming clots in blood vessels.

- Double red cell donation:  This process of donation allows a donor to donate a concentrated amount of red blood cells. Red blood cells deliver oxygen to organs and tissues. Donated red blood cells are given to people with severe blood loss such as after an injury, or accident and patients diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia.

-Plasma donation (plasmapheresis): Donated plasma is commonly given to patients in emergency and trauma situations to help stop bleeding as plasma helps blood clot. It also contains antibodies that help fight off infections. Plasma can be separated from whole blood by removing the red and white blood cells and platelets. This is done by spinning the blood at a high speed in a centrifuge and after the solids are forced to the bottom of the container, the plasma is collected off the top.

How often can I donate blood?

Whole blood can be donated by an individual every eight weeks. A gap of 16 weeks is recommended between double red cell donations. On the other hand, platelets donations can be made every seven days and up to 24 times per year. 

What are the factors to consider when donating blood?

To donate blood, a person should be healthy, be 18 to 65 years of age, weigh above 50kg, have a blood haemoglobin level of 12.5g/dl and have normal blood pressure.

Are there any side effects of donating bloods?

After giving blood some people experience dizziness, nausea or lightheadedness. However, these symptoms will go away after a few minutes. To mitigate against these symptoms, it is important to do the following after donating blood:

• Rest for about 15 minutes
• Drink extra fluids and eat a light snack
• Avoid strenuous physical activity, or heavy lifting for about five hours
• If you feel lightheaded, lie down with your feet up until the feeling goes away
• In case of any bleeding after removing the bandage, put pressure on the site and keep the arm raised until the bleeding stops

What are the advantages of blood donation?

While the act of blood donation is a pure gesture of kindness to those in need, it has other benefits to the donor.

• It offers individuals a free of charge health checkup which includes: blood pressure, haemoglobin, and the monitoring of other vital signs.
• Blood donation reduces stress and improve emotional well-being.
• Possibly the most touted benefit is improved heart health through the reduction of oxidative stress. Giving blood regularly results in reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes, according to the American Medical Association.
• Another advantage is a lower risk of developing cancer. According to a Swedish study, consistent blood donation was associated with lowered risks for certain cancers.

What are some of the misconceptions about donating blood?

• The process of donating blood is painful -There is minor pain, but this is only experienced when the needle is inserted.
• Donating blood may compromise the donor’s blood level - During the blood donation process only one pint of blood is drawn from a person and studies show that an average adult has approximately 10 pints of blood. In addition, after donating, the body makes new blood to replenish what is lost. By drinking enough liquids, the body will replace the donated fluid within a few hours and only a few days are needed to replace all of the red and white blood cells drawn during the procedure.

• An individual can contract infections during the process - This is absolutely false as facilities have strict procedures to ensure the safety of all donors. A new sterile needle is used with each donor. It is, therefore, highly unlikely that a person can develop any kind of infection during donation.
• An individual cannot donate blood if he or she has tattoos or piercings - If you were tattooed, or pierced with a single-use instrument at a tattoo parlour which is state regulated, you can donate without restriction. If not, it is recommended to wait for one year to donate blood.
• A person cannot give blood if under medication - It is importantto provide the staff carrying out the blood donation with information about any medication you are taking as mostprescriptions will not necessarily disqualify blood donation. 

Donating blood is a noble exercise that not only saves lives, but also has a number of benefits for the donor. If you are unsure about donating blood, seek information from qualified medical professionals. Donate blood, save a life.