A Single Donation
Sustains More Than One Life
One donation can be separated into components and used to treat
several patients. Some uses for blood components through transfusion
therapy follow:
- Packet red cells are prescribed for anemic patients.
- Platelet concentrates control bleeding in leukemic patients.
- Plasma from many donors is pooled to make derivatives such as antihemophilic
factor, albumin for the treatment of shock, and gamma globulin which may prevent
or make less severe certain diseases.
- Cryoprecipitate is administered to patients with hemophilia A.
What's Your Blood Type? Find Out by Donating.
Blood groups are inherited. In our population the following percentages are
ground for ABO and Rh blood Groups:
34% will have group O positive
8% will have group O negative
33% will have group A positive
7% will have group A negative
10% will have group B positive
3% will have group B negative
4% will have group AB positive
1% will have group AB negative
(The actual percentages of blood types may vary from one region to the
next. These figures reflect the average of seven Red Cross blood services
regions.) |
Giving Blood Is Safe and Easy
- Your body quickly replaces the blood you give.
- It is safe and easy to donate blood. An hour is all it takes to give blood
to save another's life - the actual donation time is less then ten minutes.
- If you are age 17 or over, you are eligible to donate blood.
- The Red Cross collects blood only from
voluntary donors.
A Cost-Recovery-Based Service
Red Cross regional blood services are financed by recovering expenses from the
users of their services. The Red Cross charges hospitals a processing fee to
cover the expenses of recruiting, collecting, testing, processing, and
distributing blood and blood products. This fee is directly related to costs.
Hospitals pass the charge on to the patient whose health insurance plan usually
covers the expense. The blood itself is never charged for because it is a
volunteer's free gift.
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