The vast majority of the people will not feel any different because of donation, your body will replace the lost fluid with in 24 hrs. The average adult body has 10 to 12 pints, the blood donation equals approx one pint of blood. The periods between donations a blood donor can donate their own blood differs dependent on whichever country they are in at the time of donation.

Donating two units of red blood cells through a similar process doubles the waiting period to 112 days. The people of America are permitted blood donations in large volumes spaced two times a week and in effect are able to donate 80 plus liters of their blood in any given year, whereas the same donor in Japan may only donate every second week and could only donate around 16 liters yearly. Another form of blood donating called aphaeresis which is donating only platelets generally only requires a 72 hour, (3 day), wait before the individual donor can further give blood platelets again. The waiting period between donations can vary greatly for other blood components.

It has been discovered that any blood donating men do may possibly reduce their risk of developing heart disease even though this link has not been firmly demonstrated. It has been found that by donating only one pint of blood in effect causes the donor to expend approximately 625 calories, which is not mentioned here as a diet technique but whatever reason a person may need to donate blood matters not. The mere fact that most blood donors are volunteers who give blood without pay for a community supply shows the importance of this life giving exercise.

Although it is common for members of a family who have someone in their circle that requires a blood transfusion to feel happy to then give blood, they should realize their are many others that require this gift on a daily basis. Therefore give life, give blood to your local blood bank. This can only improve our lives and if we had Society & Culture Directory it would get an “A” from us all for having a caring society and giving culture.

What better gift.

But still, not all the cases were successful. Later, in 1901 Karl Landsteiner, born an Austrian who later became a physician, and the most important individual in the study of human blood transfusion, documented the first three human Blood groups (based on substances present on the red Blood cells), A, B and O. And fourth blood AB group was documented by A. Decastrello and A.sturli in 1902. Now when they were awarded of different types of blood groups than they also came to know about the reason why the earlier transfusions were sometimes successful and sometimes not. The first blood bank was organized at Chicago’s Cook County Hospital.

Irwin Memorial Blood Bank was the first community-based blood centre. It was established in San Francisco in 1941. Basic demand of blood banks was raised at the time of World War-II, when physicians saw the effectiveness of transfusion therapy. Dr. Charles helped supplying thousand units of blood to world war-II victims. The American Association of Blood Banks now known as the AABB, was originally formed to support, encourage and develop the practice for blood banks.

At the beginning of 1948 the American National Red Cross was able to operate blood program to collect and distribute blood to patients in need. In 1962, several communities joined hands together not to form a hobby or toy club but instead they started helping local hospitals, civic groups and medical centres to establish blood bank centres. And now as we all know that we have more than million blood banks all over the world. Many organizations like Red Cross and other NGOs help organizing blood donation camps in hospitals, schools or colleges to encourage all youngsters to donate blood. It should become easy with cell phones and all that texting that the youth do. Some even help vanish debt by selling blood platelets for a few dollars also

A child at play

Immunohematology refers to the laboratory science of preparing blood and blood components donated by or otherwise acquired from other people for transfusion or use in other medical areas. It is often referred to as “blood banking.”

In immunohematology, specialists are also skilled in selecting appropriate and compatible blood for transfusion to other individuals. The typing of blood is very specific with the four types being A, B, AB, and O. Other factors including an RH factor or not being present, and also by other much minor criteria.

It is also thoroughly tested for a variety of diseases before being put into the general population for diseases and also for antigens against other blood types, a rare occurrence but one that can be deadly for a donor Some people going in for surgery elect to not completely trust immunohematology; there have been extremely rare but news-making cases of blood slipping through immunohematology testing that is infected with HIV, hepatitis, or other blood borne disease.

Instead of accepting blood from a general bank, they instead bank their own blood, and direct physicians to use that blood to give transfusions during their surgery. Medical technologists identify the blood types of a donor’s and recipient’s (or patient’s) blood instances in formulation for blood and blood meronymy therapy. Once compatibility (cross-match) between donor and recipient has been determined and tests for infectious disease are negative, the blood may be transfused.

Immunohematology also includes the assessment for tissue compatibility which is necessary for transplantation. An interesting technique is aphaeresis: withdrawal of a patient’s blood, while outside the body it is treated and then the treated blood is returned to the patient. This procedure is often safer for the patient and used often instead of treatment of the whole body.

Youthful forever

When you decide to donate, you will be asked some questions concerning your general health, weight and age. You must be at least 17 years old, 100 pounds, be in good health and free from any diseases such as HIV/AIDS or hepatitis. You can donate blood once every 56 days, as your body needs that amount of time to regenerate its red blood cells. If you only want to donate a component of blood called platelets, a much shorter waiting period is all that is necessary.

Platelets are generally needed for people being treated for leukemia and other forms of cancer. It takes only about 10-15 minutes for the actual donation process to be completed and approximately 1 pint of blood is taken per donation. Most people do not feel any effects after donating blood, but some may experience slight dizziness. Rest and replenishment of fluids is usually all that is needed if this occurs.

Afterwards, your blood is screened for transmissible diseases, and then typed for both blood type and RH factors. When this process is completed, your blood is stored and sent to hospitals or other facilities to be used as needed. Donating blood is a vital yet easy way to help those in need.

Where the blood flows

A blood bank is a bank of blood or blood components, gathered as a result of blood donation, stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusions. History of Blood Banks 1901 Karl Landsteiner, an Austrian physician, whom we see as the most important individual in the field of human Blood, categorized the first three human Blood groups A, B and O. Without this discovery and the subsequent research, there would be no Blood banking. 1936 Bernard Fantus, director of therapeutics at the Cook County Hospital in Chicago, established the first Blood bank in the United States, creating a hospital laboratory that can preserve and store donor Blood 1940 Dr Charles Drew, a graduate of McGill University Medical School in Montreal, researched and found a technique for long-term preservation of Blood plasma.

1947 The American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) was formed to “promote common goals among Blood banking facilities and the American Blood donating public.” 1950 Carl Walter and W.P. Murphy, Jr., introduced the plastic bag for blood collection. Replacing breakable glass bottles with durable plastic bags allowed for the evolution of a collection system capable of safe and easy preparation of multiple blood components from a single unit of Whole Blood. 1979 An anticoagulant preservative, CPDA-1 was introduced. It decreased wastage from expiration and facilitated resource sharing among blood banks. Newer solutions contain adenine and extend the shelf life of red cells to 42 days.

Do I Look Like I Have A Care?

With health problems like leukemia a growing role is becoming obvious for umbical cord blood research as cord blood is playing an important function in treatment of such diseases. Also many other life-threatening blood diseases like lymphoma. Once if you had a bone marrow transplant offered and needed for a treatment for your medical condition, now you may be able to receive a cord blood transplant as a suitable option if available. This choice of using baby blood cord banking facilities is usually up to the Doctor in charge of your case.

Umbilical blood banking which uses cord blood that is taken from the baby and has such great curing expectations as it contains babies stem cells. In order to use this great resource the removing of the umbilical cord blood is in no way detrimental to the baby. In times gone by this blood would have normally be thrown away and treated as plain old medical waste. Along with research into mesothelioma and many other cancers this type of research is priceless.

The contraversy over baby blood cord banking comes about when it is not only stored by public facilities but also by private umbilical blood banking and cord blood services organozations for private use inthe future by the rich. The advanyage of having cord blood stored Publicly is they are able to accept donations of baby cord blood to be used for anyone in need. Whereas private cord blood banking groups dissimilar to public cord blood banking is not wholly supported by the medical community.

So I do not need my cord blood?