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Are You Eligible To Donate Blood? Doctor Explains Physical Requirements, Safety Measures, And More

Blood donation is a noble process, but there are a few things one should know before donating blood. Read on to know who all are eligible to donate blood.

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Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated : June 14, 2022 11:18 AM IST

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Can You Donate Blood? Doctor Explains Eligibility Requirements, Safety Measures, And More

Serving humanity and society for a noble cause is always appreciated and this assistance is not limited to only social services. The best service that one can provide is to save or assist someone who is in danger of losing their life. Blood donation is one such process where an individual can meet someone's needs and make their life more vibrant. On an average basis, it is estimated that a person requires blood every two seconds and the gap between demand and supply is huge in the country. Every year on June 14th, we mark World Blood Donor Day to raise awareness around the importance of blood donation. Today, we have with us Dr. Vinay Bhat, Consultant - Internal Medicine, Manipal Hospital, Ghaziabad to tell us more about blood donation, and the requirements one needs to fulfill in order to donate blood.

Who Can Donate Blood?

Blood donation is a noble process, but there are a few things one should know before donating blood. Not every adult is eligible enough to donate blood due to their physical requirements:

Good health of the donor must be fully ensured. Our guidelines have following accepted criteria for donor selection are:

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  • Age between 18 and 60 years
  • Hemoglobin - not less than 12.5 g/dL
  • Pulse - between 50 and 100/minute with no irregularities
  • Blood Pressure -Systolic 100-180 mm Hg and Diastolic 50 - 100 mm Hg
  • Temperature - Normal (oral temperature not exceeding 37.50 C
  • Body weight - not less than 45 Kg

They should fulfill the following criteria:

  1. Donor must not have been treated for Rabies or received Hepatitis B immune globulin in the past one year
  2. Donor must not have a tattoo, ear or skin piercing or acupuncture, not received blood or blood products, no serious illness or major surgery, no contact with a person with hepatitis or yellow jaundice in the pas6 6 months
  3. Must not have donated blood or been treated for Malaria in the past 3 months
  4. Have not taken any immunizations in the past one month
  5. Have not taken any antibiotics or any other medications (Allopathic or Ayurveda or Sidha or Homeo) in past 48 hours
  6. Must have not consumed alcoholic beverages in the past 24 hours
  7. Have not gotten a dental surgery or taken aspirin in the past 72 hours
  8. Presently not suffering from cough, influenza, or sore throat, common cold
  9. Women should not be pregnant or breast feeding her child
  10. Women donor should not donate during their menstrual cycles
  11. Free from Diabetes, not suffering from chest pain, heart disease or high weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, enlarged lymph nodes in armpits, neck or groin, white patches in the mouth etc.
  12. Ever had TB, bronchial asthma or allergic disorder, liver disease, kidney disease, fits or fainting, blue or purple spots on the skin or mucous membranes, received human pituitary - growth hormones etc. BP, cancer, blood clotting problem or blood disease, unexplained fever,

Blood Donation For Pregnant Women

Apart from the general criteria, pregnant women need to pay special attention before donating blood. Pregnant and breast-feeding women are strictly not allowed to donate blood. Women after childbirth can donate blood for at least one year and only if they have stopped lactation. According to research, 10 to 20% of pregnant women have human leukocyte antibodies in their bodies, which can be harmful to recipients of donated platelets or plasma. People with high blood pressure are strictly not allowed to donate blood as it will not only affect the recipient but also the donor's health during the process. Another important criterion for donating blood is that the haemoglobin should be at least 12.5 grams or above.

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Satata Karmakar

Satata Karmakar

Satata Karmakar is a health journalist and Assistant News Editor at TheHealthSite.com with over a decade of experience in digital and print media. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, she has previously worked with leading media organisations including ... Read More