Blood donation is essentially a process that many individuals go through every year. Many blood transfusion spear headers will tell you that you are saving lives, but they don’t tell you the back story of what happens afterward. Blood donation can be easily made by anyone who is at least seventeen years. It is also required that you be at least 110lbs of weight and in prime health. Once you get to the blood donation center, they take information about you including your health history and ensure that you get your body checked up. Your blood is then collected in test tubes and labeled, after which it is placed on ice to be transported to the processing center.
As soon as it gets to the center, your blood is placed in labs, and all of your information is keyed in computers. The blood is then separated into transferable components and those that cannot be transfused to another person. Blood platelets are then leuko-reduced in such a way that the white cells in your blood are eliminated so that they do not end up causing harm to the patient whom they are supposed to help. After that, every component is packaged as one particular unit so that they can be easily transfused to another person.
With your blood, several tests are carried upon while it’s in the lab. These tests check the blood for diseases that may be present as well as the blood type. As soon as the tests are concluded, they are transferred to the processing center where it is discovered if your blood is positive or negative, and if it is negative, they get rid of it. In case they get that your blood is positive, you are offered this information promptly. If your results are good, you get all of our units stored. Platelets are stored at room temperature whilst red cells are kept in a refrigerator, and cryo and plasma are frozen in a medical freezer. Your blood is then easily shipped to hospitals at any moment henceforth.
With the transfusion process, the patient is usually declared by the doctors to be needy of the blood. The doctors decipher the type of blood that the patient requires. When the patient is found out to be needing iron or suffering from anemia, he receives red blood cells. Another patient who may be going through chemotherapy will be given platelet transfusion. With a patient who is suffering from liver failure or severe burns, he gets a plasma transfusion. This then shows the need for having your blood separated and stored in units for convenience and to help needy patients directly.