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Donating blood involves eligibility verification, registration, a mini-physical, and blood draw. Eligibility requirements include being at least 17 years old, weighing at least 110 pounds, and being generally healthy. After donating, refreshments are provided to help adjust to fluid loss.
Donating blood is a simple process that involves first determining whether an individual is eligible to be a donor. Once eligibility is verified, the donor usually locates a blood draw or place to donate blood. The donor must then register, answer questions about his health history, and undergo a mini-physique before donating his blood. The blood is then drawn using a needle in the donor’s arm. This short process usually concludes with refreshments to help the donor adjust to the slight decrease in fluid volume.
The first step in the blood donation process is to determine eligibility. There are some general guidelines to follow, although specially trained technical staff members are usually available in every blood collection center to help deal with individual health histories. These basic guidelines include a minimum age requirement of at least 17, weight of at least 110 pounds, and the donor must not have donated whole blood in the last 56 days or donated double red blood cells in the last 112 days. The donor should be generally healthy, feel well and be able to carry out normal activities. Chronic conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, usually need to be treated and controlled.
Once the donor’s eligibility has been determined, they can search the Red Cross website for a blood drive to donate to, if they don’t already have a location in mind. You may also be able to create a profile and schedule a convenient appointment to donate blood using this website. The donor will usually need to present an identification card and completed registration forms that include health and demographic questions. A trained technician will usually review these forms and administer a mini-physique to each donor prior to blood collection. This brief physical exam typically includes blood pressure and pulse checks, as well as monitoring the donor’s temperature and testing his blood iron level.
To begin the actual blood donation process, a technician will clean an area of the donor’s arm and insert a needle into a vein. The donor will then relax for about seven to ten minutes as the bag fills with about half a liter of blood. After the donor is done giving blood, the technician removes the needle and puts a bandage on the arm. Refreshments are usually given to help the donor adjust to the small decrease in fluid volume and, after a few minutes, he can usually resume his normal daily activities.
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