Donated blood goes through testing for diseases and blood type, processing into components, leukoreduction, and storage before being distributed to hospitals for various medical needs.
When a person donates blood, it’s just the beginning of a much longer process of getting blood to a person in need. Donated blood must go through several steps. First, some of the blood is tested and the rest of the donation is processed. Then the blood is stored before finally being used to help people with a medical need for blood or blood components.
At the time of donation, donors must provide information about their health and blood type and whether they have certain diseases. In order to keep the blood supply safe, donated blood is thoroughly tested for a variety of diseases and to confirm the type. This is done in case donors are mistaken about their blood type or in case they have contracted a disease they are not yet aware of. Donated blood is tested for Rheses factor (Rh); for common blood types A, B, AB and O; and for unusual antibodies and blood types. If any of the test results are positive for a disease, the donor is notified and the donation is not used.
Some of the infectious diseases, or disease-causing agents, that donated blood is tested for include human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and type 2 (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and hepatitis B and C. Other diseases tested for are West Nile virus, syphilis, Chagas disease, and human T-lymphotropic virus. The tests performed look for the antibodies that an exposed person’s system will create. In some cases, they also look for nucleic acids created by the virus itself. These tests are needed because a person can be exposed to these agents but show no symptoms, and these agents can make a person ill when received via blood transfusion.
During testing, the rest of the donated blood usually goes through processing, where it’s either prepared for use or can be stored as whole blood. During processing, the donated blood is separated into parts or components, such as red blood cells, platelets and plasma, by centrifugation. Plasma can also be further processed into a substance called cryoprecipitate. The components also undergo a process called leukoreduction, which is the removal of white blood cells so that they do not interfere with the patient’s immune system. The separate components can then be used to treat multiple patients with different conditions, so half a liter of blood can help more than one patient.
After that, the donated blood goes into storage until it’s needed. Storage methods and times vary according to the blood component. The platelets must be stored at room temperature and kept in constant motion in a shaker and will only last for five days. Whole blood must be refrigerated and can be stored safely for up to 35 days, and red blood cells can be refrigerated for up to 42 days. Plasma and cryoprecipitate have the longest shelf life, up to a year, and are frozen.
Finally, when needed, donated blood is distributed to hospitals to be used in the treatment of a variety of conditions. Whole blood is often required for surgical patients and trauma victims. Red blood cells are useful in the treatment of sickle cell anemia and standard anemia, as well as any other significant blood loss. Platelets are used to treat some types of cancer, such as leukemia; plasma is used for coagulation disorders and for burn patients; and cryoprecipitate is very useful in the treatment of haemophilia. Many blood banks are able to ship whole blood and blood components to hospitals any day, any time.
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