Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Types of Blood Donation

Blood donations are divided into three groups based on who will receive the collected blood. An allogeneic (also called homologous) donation is when a donor gives blood for storage at a blood bank for transfusion to an unknown recipient. A directed or replacement donor donation is when a person, often a family member, donates blood for transfusion to a specific individual. Directed donations are rare in developed countries like Canada but are common in developing countries such as Ghana. The third kind is when a person has blood stored that will be transfused back to the donor at a later date, usually after surgery. This is called an autologous donation. Blood that is used to make medications can be made from allogeneic donations or from donations exclusively used for manufacturing.


The actual process varies according to the laws of the country, and recommendations to donors vary according to the collecting organization. The World Health Organization gives recommendations for blood donation policies, but in developing countries many of these are not followed. For example, the recommended testing requires laboratory facilities, trained staff, and specialized reagents, all of which may not be available or too expensive in developing countries.


An event where donors come to give allogeneic blood is sometimes called a blood drive or a blood donor session. These can occur at a blood bank but they are often set up at a location in the community such as a shopping center, workplace, school, or house of worship.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Blood Donation

A blood donation is when a healthy person voluntarily has blood drawn. The blood is used for transfusions or made into medications by a process called fractionation.


In the developed world, most blood donors are unpaid volunteers who give blood for a community supply. In poorer countries, established supplies are limited and donors usually give blood when family or friends need a transfusion. Many donors donate as an act of charity, but some are paid and in some cases there are incentives other than money such as paid time off from work. A donor can also have blood drawn for their own future use. Donating is relatively safe, but some donors have bruising where the needle is inserted or may feel faint.


Potential donors are evaluated for anything that might make their blood unsafe to use. The screening includes testing for diseases that can be transmitted by a blood transfusion, including HIV and viral hepatitis. The donor is also asked about medical history and given a short physical examination to make sure that the donation is not hazardous to their health. How often a donor can give varies from days to months based on what they donate and the laws of the country where the donation takes place.


The amount of blood drawn and the methods vary, but a typical donation is 500 milliliters of whole blood. The collection can be done manually or with automated equipment that only takes specific portions of the blood. Most of the components of blood used for transfusions have a short shelf life, and maintaining a constant supply is a persistent problem.

Welcome to bloodhelpers.com

A website www.bloodhelpers.com has been designed to build an Indian database of blood donors, which will help in saving lives of those who are in immediate need of blood. We humbly request you to join us in this noble endeavor by registering yourself in the site as a donor, and donate blood whenever required.

It is a familiar fact that donating blood could reduce the risk of heart disease and could stimulate the generation of red blood cells. Blood donation periodically promotes healthy life. A Little inclination to enroll yourself in www.bloodhelpers.com would save a life or in days to come. As a matter of support to this noble cause kindly join us and also refer to your friends, relatives and social contacts.