What to expect: Donating blood

Key Takeaways:

• In May, the American Red Cross put out an urgent call for blood and platelet donors in response to an alarming drop in scheduled donations.
• Blood donation can help a variety of patients, including those with cancer, sickle cell disease, chronic diseases, and those who have experienced traumatic injuries and burns.
• From arrival to departure, blood donation takes approximately one hour.
• Be sure to eat and hydrate before your appointment.

Editor’s Note: Earlier this year, the American Red Cross put out an urgent call for blood and platelet donors because a drop in scheduled donations had put the nation’s blood supply in danger.

The Red Cross refers to the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day as “trauma season,” which “brings an increase in severe injuries from car accidents, ATV crashes, sports-related injuries, and other summer activities. In fact, AAA reports that fatal crashes involving teen drivers rise by 30 percent during this time, often called the ‘100 deadliest days.’ A single person injured in a serious car accident can require up to 100 units of blood.”

To encourage people everywhere to donate blood, we reached out to the Allegheny Highlands Chapter of the American Red Cross, which hosts blood drives at multiple WVU Medicine locations, to answer some common blood donation questions for us.

The following answers were provided by Mitchell Short, an account manager for the Red Cross who plans and organizes blood drives across the region.

What should I expect when going to donate blood?

We encourage donors to make an appointment online in advance.

After you check in, you are called back to go over your health history. To save some time, we offer a service called Rapid Pass, which allows you to answer health history questions on your phone.

After those questions are answered, we check your pulse, blood pressure, hemoglobin, and temperature to make sure all those are in a healthy parameter.

Then, we move over to a bed, which has been sterilized. We cleanse the area on your arm and insert a brand-new, sterile needle. There’s a quick pinch, and after the needle enters, you don’t even know it’s there.

While the blood fills, you can relax and just hang out. I would say the actual donation process is anywhere from five-to-10 minutes.

After you donate about a pint of blood, the line will be clipped off, and we’ll check to make sure you feel OK. We’ll bandage you up, and we’ll have you stay with us about 10-15 minutes and have a snack and a drink. Then you’ll be on your way.

In total, from coming in the door to heading back out, the process takes about an hour.

Is there any preparation I need to do before donating blood?

We encourage donors to get lots of sleep, drink an extra 16 oz. of water to make sure you’re very hydrated on the day, and eat before coming to donate blood.

So, I don’t need to fast before donating blood?

Donating blood is a different process than going in for blood testing ordered by your healthcare provider. We encourage you to eat a hearty, iron-rich meal so your hemoglobin is high before coming in to donate blood.

What if I don’t know my blood type?

I think that’s one of the main selling points for donating blood. The Red Cross will test and type your blood and provide that information to you for free. Other places would charge you for that service.

How often can I donate blood?

We offer two types of donations: a whole blood donation and a power red donation.

With a whole blood donation, you’re allowed to donate a pint of blood every 56 days.

Power red donation is just red blood cells, so it’s a concentrated dose of red blood cells. You keep your plasma and platelets, and we give you some saline.

You leave with more volume than you started with at that donation. You can give every 112 days because red blood cell rebuilding takes a little bit longer.

Red blood cells are the most transfused blood product in our hospitals, making up 65 percent of all transfusions.

A power red donation is highly encouraged for any first-time donor or those who have O-positive, O-negative, A-negative, or B-negative blood types and meet our height, weight, and hemoglobin requirements.

Where can I learn more?

To learn more or to schedule an appointment at a blood drive near you, visit RedCrossBlood.org.