FACTS ABOUT GIVING BLOOD

Each day hospitals in England and North Wales require 10,000 units of blood to supply their patients with the care that they need and require.  The National Blood Service works hard to meet these demands but can only do this with the help and generosity of donors who are voluntary and unpaid.  At the present time only six percent of the eligible population give blood, yet the demand for blood never stops. Blood components are used broadly in the following percentages: 30 percent for accidents and emergencies, 20 percent in general surgery, 15 percent in orthopaedic surgery, 10 percent in maternity and 25 percent in non-surgical use such as cancer treatment.  Over 95 percent of the donations are broken down into their component parts - red cells, white cells, platelets and plasma. The components of blood are used for a wide range illnesses including red cells for anaemia, platelets are used for patients whose bone marrow is suppressed and who cannot make their own as a result of anti-cancer treatment and plasma for seriously ill patients and burns victims. Donating blood is a relatively pain free experience, despite the vision that stands out in many people’s minds of Tony Hancock in The Blood Donor!  The whole procedure takes about one hour approximately from the reception to the infamous tea table. There are a few things that may prevent people from donating and these include whether giving could affect the health of the donor.  Reasons include being unwell on the day of the donation such as with flu or a bad cold, if you have been pregnant in the past 12 months or if you have certain medical conditions and are taking certain types of medication. Alternatively if a donation could affect the health of the recipient this may prevent a person giving blood.  Reasons for this include visiting a foreign country within the last six months where there may have been a chance of exposure to malaria, a lifestyle which puts you at risk of HIV or hepatitis and if you have had ear or body piercing in the last year. The actual procedure is straightforward with donors being asked to fill in a form and then being called for a health check.  If the initial screening is given the all-clear then the donor is given a finger-prick test.  This involves taking a drop of blood from the donor’s finger and dropping it into a solution of copper sulphate to test the level of haemoglobin.  If the circle of blood falls to the bottom of the test tube the donor is deemed fit to donate.  If however, which is sometimes the case, the circle does not drop but rises, another blood test will be taken for further, more detailed tests. If the go-ahead is given the donor will be moved to a bed and will donate a unit of blood which is 470 ml (just under a pint).  The donation is really the shortest part of the whole procedure as it can take five minutes but the maximum is normally ten. In addition to the pack of blood, three test tubes of blood are taken for testing purposes.  The tests carried out are HIV, Hepatitis B and C and Syphilis.  Blood packs and test tubes are all given a unique bar code for the patient’s records so that they can be tracked.  After that there is a rest period and off for a cup of tea and refreshments. The need for blood donations is endless since the components only have a limited shelf life.  Whole blood and red cells only last for 35 days and platelets for a mere five days.  This and the constant demands of hospitals for their patients make the need for regular donations so very important. If you would like to become a blood donor you should be aged between 17 - 60 (70 for regular donors), weigh over 7st 12lbs (50 kg) and be in general good health.  Information can be obtained from the Donor Helpline on 0845 7 711 711 or by logging onto the NBS website at www.blood.co.uk. The next session in St Osyth is on Thursday 31st October 2002 at the Village Hall, Clacton Road, St Osyth.  Times are 2-4pm and 4.30-7pm.