Despite all medical advances, no substitute for human blood or a way of duplicating it has been figured out till now. The only way of replenishing lost blood in the human body is from another healthy human being. Moreover, blood donation hardly makes a difference to the donor's health but is the lifeline of the patient and his brethren. Dr Prashant Pandey, the Director, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Histocompatibility and Molecular Biology, Jaypee Hospital (Noida), shares why and how it feels great to donate!
WHO CAN DONATE BLOOD?
Individuals who fulfil the following criteria can safely donate blood:
with average body temperature and blood pressure at the time of donation
free of disease at the time of donation
WHO SHOULD NOT DONATE BLOOD?
You should not donate blood if you:
are pregnant or lactating
on steroids, hormonal supplements, or specified medications
have multiple sexual partners or those addicted to drugs
have undergone surgery in the previous six months
have consumed alcohol in 24 hrs
are undergoing menstruation
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WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENS DURING BLOOD DONATION?
Blood donation is a simple 4-step process: registration, medical history and mini-physical examination, donation and refreshments.
You have to fill out a donor form
Your medical history will be evaluated, and complete privacy will be maintained
Small drop of blood is taken to perform medical screening to ensure you aren't anaemic. After passing this simple medical screening procedure, you are escorted to the blood donation area. The actual bleeding time is just 5-6 minutes
After this, you have advised some rest for about 5-10 minutes and refreshments.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BLOOD ONE DONATES?
The blood sample is tested for:
HIV ( I & II)
Hepatitis B & C virus (Jaundice)
Malaria parasite
Syphilis (VDRL)
The blood is screened and stored either as whole blood or as components. The lab ensures the highest level of safety for each unit of blood. It is then issued on demand of patients.
WHAT SHOULD I EAT BEFORE AND AFTER BLOOD DONATION?
You can eat anything, preferably light snacks and a drink (non-alcoholic) before blood donation.
After donation, drink some liquid like tea, cold drink or juice, etc., to replenish fluid and eat some snacks. All this would be available to you at the blood donation site.
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