yulius hermantoSave others Lives with Blood donation
May 15th 2009 04:12
Blood is an important component of our body. It also unique and can't be manufactured or replaced by animal blood. But can be transfused from human to human.
Worldwide, blood shortage often can be saw. That's why blood banks organization such as Red Cross is keen on searching for blood donors. The demand of blood increase during holiday or disasters, related to trauma. In United States from 37% of all people who are eligible to donor, only 10% are donor annually.
With blood donation we can help others or maybe we can save others lives, because blood transfusion usually is used in life threatening cases. It's a rare chance, we save others, but we can do it with blood donation.
Benefits from Donated Blood
They need blood because they need to replace their blood lost. For example, surgery patients, trauma victims, hemophilia patients, cancer patients, etc.
Thanks to advances in medical technology, blood can be separated into its different components. Hence, a unit can be broken down into these components, which then can be given to people who have different blood needs.
* Red blood cells are used to treat anemia and blood loss resulting from trauma and surgery. Some heart operations can use up to 20 pints of red cells. Liver transplants normally use 10-20 pints and a hip replacement, 1-3 pints.
* Platelets are commonly used in treating cancers like leukemia. One patient can require the platelets from eight or more individual donations every day for weeks.
* Plasma is used for treating hemophilia, surgical shock, severe burns and immunodeficiency.
There are four major blood types: A. B. AB, and O. Each is divided into Rh positive or negative types. You maybe have learned during school period about O the universal donor, AB as the universal recipient, that's true but not correct. Ideally in deciding a match between donor and recipient must follow a cross-reaction test before the transfusion is gave.
'O' and 'A' blood type are common blood type, and the blood banks frequently run short of during their peak seasons.
Regardless of how rare or how common your blood type is, it's needed. Whatever your blood type, you are important to someone and should donate regularly.
Who are eligible to donor
The inclusion criteria is individual range from 17 to 76 years old, weight at least 110 pounds, younger donors is preferable because they are considered more healthy. Then when you come to blood bank organization you follow a screening before donate your blood.
Blood Donation includes three steps, taking at least an hour.
SCREENING
Before giving blood, you'll complete a health screening. The screening is done to ensure the safety of the blood supply. It requires you to provide your name, address, age, and proof of identification with photo or signature identification. Your pulse, temperature and blood pressure will be recorded, and a drop of blood is taken from your earlobe or finger to be analyzed for sufficient iron level. You'll also have to answer questions about your health, lifestyle and disease risk factors, including inquiries on sexual behavior, which is designed to prevent people with a high risk for HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases from donating blood.
DONATING
After being screened, you'll be seated at a padded table or chair, your arm will be cleaned and a sterile needle will be inserted into a vein in your arm. Then, blood flows from the vein in your arm through a soft-plastic tube, attached to the needle, into a plastic bag at your side. In about 15 minutes, a unit which measures 500 milliliters or a little less than one pint, will have been collected. Then, the needle is removed and a bandage is applied to the wound.
RECOVERING
When you're done, you'll be asked to stay and relax, and have some cookies and refreshments to replenish fluids. While most people are fine immediately afterward, a few feel slightly weak; but the feeling passes quickly. Within a few minutes you can return to school, work, and most other activities.
You can help speed your body's recovery by:
* Drinking extra fluids for the next 24 hours.
* Not smoking for one hour.
* Refraining from heavy muscular or strenuous activity, such as lifting or pushing heavy objects, for at least four hours.
Benefits for the Donor
Blood donation benefits extend beyond those who receive life-giving blood. Donors also receive numerous health benefits. Blood donation benefits to donors include:
* Free health screening: Every time you give blood, a medical technician, doctor or nurse will check your blood pressure and give you a free health screening.
* Reduced risk of heart disease: Some doctors and scientists believe that giving blood may prevent heart disease. Although no conclusive evidence is available, numerous physicians have noted that blood donors typically have fewer cases of heart disease than non-donors. Dr. Harvey Klein, in an article on USA Today, speculates that giving blood regularly reduces the amount of iron in the bloodstream. While iron is an important element and necessary for human life, too much iron may actually damage the heart and circulatory system. Dr. Klein and others believe that reducing blood iron through regular blood donation is a healthy way to potentially lower your risk of heart disease.
* Acts of altruism make you feel good! Giving feels great, especially when you understand that one hour of your time and one pint of blood can save so many people.
The demand for blood never lets up. Every day, thousands of people need donations to live. Before they can receive it, donated blood must go through time-consuming tests. Then, it must be used relatively quickly or it will perish-whole blood for instance, is no longer usable after 42 days. As a result, maintaining an adequate blood supply is a challenge-especially when a disaster occurs, which may cause the need for blood to soar. The only way to meet demand is to have regular donations from healthy volunteers.
Worldwide, blood shortage often can be saw. That's why blood banks organization such as Red Cross is keen on searching for blood donors. The demand of blood increase during holiday or disasters, related to trauma. In United States from 37% of all people who are eligible to donor, only 10% are donor annually.
With blood donation we can help others or maybe we can save others lives, because blood transfusion usually is used in life threatening cases. It's a rare chance, we save others, but we can do it with blood donation.
Benefits from Donated Blood
They need blood because they need to replace their blood lost. For example, surgery patients, trauma victims, hemophilia patients, cancer patients, etc.
Thanks to advances in medical technology, blood can be separated into its different components. Hence, a unit can be broken down into these components, which then can be given to people who have different blood needs.
* Red blood cells are used to treat anemia and blood loss resulting from trauma and surgery. Some heart operations can use up to 20 pints of red cells. Liver transplants normally use 10-20 pints and a hip replacement, 1-3 pints.
* Platelets are commonly used in treating cancers like leukemia. One patient can require the platelets from eight or more individual donations every day for weeks.
There are four major blood types: A. B. AB, and O. Each is divided into Rh positive or negative types. You maybe have learned during school period about O the universal donor, AB as the universal recipient, that's true but not correct. Ideally in deciding a match between donor and recipient must follow a cross-reaction test before the transfusion is gave.
'O' and 'A' blood type are common blood type, and the blood banks frequently run short of during their peak seasons.
Regardless of how rare or how common your blood type is, it's needed. Whatever your blood type, you are important to someone and should donate regularly.
Who are eligible to donor
The inclusion criteria is individual range from 17 to 76 years old, weight at least 110 pounds, younger donors is preferable because they are considered more healthy. Then when you come to blood bank organization you follow a screening before donate your blood.
Blood Donation includes three steps, taking at least an hour.
SCREENING
Before giving blood, you'll complete a health screening. The screening is done to ensure the safety of the blood supply. It requires you to provide your name, address, age, and proof of identification with photo or signature identification. Your pulse, temperature and blood pressure will be recorded, and a drop of blood is taken from your earlobe or finger to be analyzed for sufficient iron level. You'll also have to answer questions about your health, lifestyle and disease risk factors, including inquiries on sexual behavior, which is designed to prevent people with a high risk for HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases from donating blood.
DONATING
After being screened, you'll be seated at a padded table or chair, your arm will be cleaned and a sterile needle will be inserted into a vein in your arm. Then, blood flows from the vein in your arm through a soft-plastic tube, attached to the needle, into a plastic bag at your side. In about 15 minutes, a unit which measures 500 milliliters or a little less than one pint, will have been collected. Then, the needle is removed and a bandage is applied to the wound.
RECOVERING
When you're done, you'll be asked to stay and relax, and have some cookies and refreshments to replenish fluids. While most people are fine immediately afterward, a few feel slightly weak; but the feeling passes quickly. Within a few minutes you can return to school, work, and most other activities.
You can help speed your body's recovery by:
* Drinking extra fluids for the next 24 hours.
* Not smoking for one hour.
* Refraining from heavy muscular or strenuous activity, such as lifting or pushing heavy objects, for at least four hours.
Benefits for the Donor
Blood donation benefits extend beyond those who receive life-giving blood. Donors also receive numerous health benefits. Blood donation benefits to donors include:
* Free health screening: Every time you give blood, a medical technician, doctor or nurse will check your blood pressure and give you a free health screening.
* Reduced risk of heart disease: Some doctors and scientists believe that giving blood may prevent heart disease. Although no conclusive evidence is available, numerous physicians have noted that blood donors typically have fewer cases of heart disease than non-donors. Dr. Harvey Klein, in an article on USA Today, speculates that giving blood regularly reduces the amount of iron in the bloodstream. While iron is an important element and necessary for human life, too much iron may actually damage the heart and circulatory system. Dr. Klein and others believe that reducing blood iron through regular blood donation is a healthy way to potentially lower your risk of heart disease.
* Acts of altruism make you feel good! Giving feels great, especially when you understand that one hour of your time and one pint of blood can save so many people.
The demand for blood never lets up. Every day, thousands of people need donations to live. Before they can receive it, donated blood must go through time-consuming tests. Then, it must be used relatively quickly or it will perish-whole blood for instance, is no longer usable after 42 days. As a result, maintaining an adequate blood supply is a challenge-especially when a disaster occurs, which may cause the need for blood to soar. The only way to meet demand is to have regular donations from healthy volunteers.
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