%20(1).jpg)
What is Blood Donation?
Blood donation is a volunteer procedure. It occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for transfusions. Blood donation may be of whole blood or specific components(RBCs, WBCs, Platelets) directly.
One pint of blood saves 3 lives
You save 3 lives when you donate 01 pints of Blood. Your donated blood is divided into three primary components.
1. Red blood cells
2. Plasma
3. Platelets
This is how you are saving up to three lives.
Types of Blood Donation
There are 02 types of Blood donation.
1. Whole Blood donation
2. Specific component donation
Whole blood donation(WBD)
Whole Blood Donation is the most common type of Blood Donation. During WBD you donate a pint of about half a liter of whole blood. Blood is not separated into its various components.
Specific component donation-Apheresis Donation
When you donate whole blood, it is usually separated into its components – e.g. red cells, plasma, platelets – for transfusion. For this a process of Apheresis is done on the blood and then you can donate specific component of blood.
Apheresis
Apheresis is a process that involves removing whole blood from a donor or patient and then separating it into various components, including plasma, platelets and leukocytes.
Sometimes, a patient needs only a specific component of blood. Then, this process is done on the blood. Such a type of blood donation is called Apheresis donation.
why blood donation is important?
Blood is essential to help patients survive surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries. There is no substitute for human blood — all transfusions use blood from a donor. Blood is the most precious gift to those who need blood to live alive. Millions of people specially Thalassemia patients’ need blood transfusions and Some may need blood during surgery. Others depend on it after an accident or because they have a disease that requires blood components.
Only Blood donation makes all these possible.
In the end, I would like to say that please donate blood and save lives. In my Next post, I will share the complete procedure of donating blood.
Comments