There are many ways to give…
Our regular blood supply is provided by dedicated members of the community
who donate out of generosity and a concern for others. In addition to
regular donations made by volunteers, the Community Blood Bank accepts
the following types of donations:
Autologous
Patients may have their own (autologous) blood available for upcoming surgeries. People who wish to do this should first discuss this option with their physician. A doctor's order is required.
Directed
Sometimes patients cannot donate blood for their own use and would like a family member or close friend to donate blood specifically for them to use. Again, patients should discuss this option with their physician. A doctor's order is required.
Platelet Pheresis
Donors can choose to give platelets through a process in which whole blood
is withdrawn from a vein in one arm and channeled through a computerized
cell separator. The remaining plasma and red blood cells are then filtered
back to the donor through the other arm. The process takes approximately
90 to 120 minutes.
Red Cell Pheresis
Because red cells are the most needed and used blood product, you may be asked to do a "double red cell" donation. In this situation, red cells are collected and plasma and platelets are returned to the donor. The process takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. This single visit counts as two donations, so donors must wait 112 days between red cell pheresis donations.
|
