Donation of blood and its components is exclusively voluntary donation of blood by a person, as well as various activities that are aimed at ensuring and organizing the safety of procurement of material taken. It should be noted that such practice began to be actively applied precisely in the war years. About how to donate blood, is it safe or not, you will learn from the materials of this article.
What is it taken for?
Blood donation is common in almost all countries. She is taken away for educational and research purposes, for the production of medicines and medical devices. The clinical use of such material and its components is associated with transfusion to a patient for medicinal purposes, as well as to create reserves that may be needed in emergency cases.
Why do not use substitutes?
Even with the development of technology and scientific discoveries, blood donation does not lose its relevance. After all, its artificial substitutes are toxic, have many side effects, are unreasonably expensive, and are also not able to fully reproduce all the functions of this material in the body. In this regard, donated blood is indispensable for transfusion to victims of various injuries and burns, during complex operations, as well as in difficult births.
It should be specially noted that stocks of such material are vital for patients with anemia, hemophilia and cancer patients with chemotherapy. According to statistics, every third inhabitant of our planet at least once in his life needed donated blood. One cannot ignore the fact that in our country there is a catastrophic shortage of blood products and its components (domestic production). That is why it was decided to open the federal Blood Service program, which calls on the residents of Russia to donate free of charge.
Emblem in different countries
Blood is donated in almost all countries of the world. Moreover, some of them even have a corresponding emblem. So, in the countries of Scandinavia, an image of a pelican with drops of blood is used. A bird tearing its breast to feed the chicks symbolizes selfless love. Christian authors often compared this animal to Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself to save all people.
Donor day
Blood donation is optional. However, everyone is called for such a procedure. Not so long ago, it was decided to declare June 14 as World Donor Day. This day was chosen and established by three organizations that advocate for free and voluntary blood donation. These include the International Federation of the Red Cross Society, the International Society for Blood Transfusion, and the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations.
It should also be noted that in Russia, National Donor Day is celebrated on April 20.
Types of donation
Blood donation, the benefits and harms of which have long been known to everyone, involves blood sampling. However, material from one or another person can be taken for different purposes. Consider the types of donation in more detail.
Autodonoring. This is the preparation of the patient’s own blood before the next planned surgical operation. As you know, transfusion of foreign material is stressful for any organism. But using your own allows you to minimize all side effects.
Whole blood donation. Such a sampling of material involves subsequent resuspension in a preservation solution, as a result of which the blood is separated into components, processed or transfused.
Donor plasmapheresis. Such blood donation occurs manually or automatically. With manual plasmapheresis, the material is taken into a special sterile bag. Then it is centrifuged, separated into plasma and red blood cell mass (using a plasma extractor), after which the latter is returned to the donor. In this case, the volume of circulating blood is replenished with an adequate amount of saline.
With automatic plasmapheresis, a person is connected to a separator. Blood during this procedure is taken completely. Then it is divided into shaped elements and plasma, after which the first ones are returned to the donor. A similar method is carried out and blood purification.
Donor thrombocytapheresis. Such a fence is carried out using a special apparatus. Platelet mass is released from the blood of the donor. As you know, it is extremely necessary during chemotherapy of cancer patients and other abnormalities that are accompanied by thrombocytopenia. Platelet harvesting is quite expensive. That is why only those people who have donated material in this way more than once are invited to such a blood donation. Indeed, in this case, specialists have full confidence that they have no vector-borne infections.
Donor granulocytapheresis (or leukocytapheresis). In patients with severe infectious complications, granulocytes, a type of white blood cell, are extremely necessary. The procedure for their delivery is similar to the collection of platelets. It should be noted that granulocyte transfusion, as a rule, is carried out within a few hours after their collection from the donor.
Immune plasma donation. Voluntary donation of blood in this way involves immunizing a person with a safe strain of an infectious agent. Plasma, which is subsequently taken from such a donor, contains antibodies to the pathogen and can be used for the manufacture of drugs. In some cases, the material is poured by a weakened patient in its pure form as a component of multivalent therapy or for prophylactic purposes.
Donor erythrocytapheresis. The erythrocyte mass obtained in this way is extremely necessary for patients with anemia and other abnormalities, which are accompanied by a decrease in blood formation and a low level of hemoglobin. Manual sampling is similar to plasmapheresis. The only differences are that in case of erythrocytapheresis, in addition to the erythrocyte mass, all remaining blood components return to the donor’s body. That is why, to replenish its volume, the introduction of saline is no longer required.
Basic requirements, rights and obligations of the donor
Almost everyone knows how to donate blood . However, not everyone knows the requirements that apply to such people.
Only a competent person who has reached the age of 18 years can be a blood donor. Such a person must be a citizen of the Russian Federation or reside on its territory (legally) for at least 1 year. The donor must express a voluntary desire to become one, undergo a medical examination, which will not reveal any contraindications for the delivery of the material.
Before donating blood, a person must:
- present a passport or other identification document;
- undergo a medical examination;
- provide all the information about the infectious diseases suffered, about contacts with infectious patients, about the use of narcotic and psychotropic substances, about staying in the territory where there was a threat of the emergence or spread of epidemics (mass infectious diseases), about working with dangerous or harmful working conditions, and as well as any vaccinations and surgical operations that were carried out during the year prior to the immediate donation of blood.
What are the conditions for blood donation?
Among modern people, not only donation of material is very popular, but also blood donation for money. However, in any case, before such a procedure, a person needs to register, fill out a questionnaire, and also undergo a medical examination. Thus, the donor should donate blood for analysis of hemoglobin level (taken from the finger), and then visit a transfusiologist. All these events take place directly at the donor point and do not take much time.
To donate whole blood every six months, the volunteer should undergo a re-analysis. If a person is not at the point, then his blood supply is destroyed. When giving the material more than three times within 1 year, the donor needs to do an ECG with decoding, chest x-ray, pass urine and blood for analysis, and also get a certificate from an infectious disease specialist, which will confirm the absence of contact with infectious patients and patients with hepatitis. Representatives of the weaker sex should be examined by a gynecologist.
Blood donation: benefits and harms
Correctly made material sampling never harms the donor, and even helps him. Saving someone’s life, a volunteer does good not only to another person, but also to himself. This is expressed in the following:
- When sampling material, the function of hematopoiesis begins to noticeably activate, as a result of which blood self-renews. After all, it was not for nothing that back in the Middle Ages, bloodletting was often used to treat some abnormalities.
- The benefit of blood donation also lies in the fact that as a result of such procedures, the spleen and liver are significantly unloaded in a person. After all, part of their functions is the disposal of dead red blood cells.
- The human body begins to noticeably develop immunity even to small blood loss.
- Blood sampling is a kind of prevention of diseases of the digestive system, cardiovascular system, etc.
How can donation be harmed?
Why do some people consider an event such as blood donation to be dangerous? The harm from this procedure can really take place, but only if it was carried out incorrectly. However, only professionals who exclude such an opportunity work at donor points.
It should also be noted that infection of a volunteer during blood donation is unlikely, as:
- the injection site is disinfected with alcohol or a special solution;
- blood sampling is carried out using a new system, which is unpacked directly with the donor;
- in the case of the selection of any individual blood components, its remainder flows back through the same system; however, a volunteer can easily make sure that only his data is available on the tank.
Despite all of the above, the risk of infection still remains. However, this can only happen with direct blood transfusion. Although such a measure is only used in special cases when there are no conditions or time for all the necessary preparatory measures.
Contraindications to donation
Depending on the operations and diseases undergone, a person may not be allowed to donate blood (permanently or temporarily).
Temporary contraindications include ear piercing, tattoos, vaccinations, some infectious diseases (ARI, SARS), operations, including abortion, lactation and pregnancy. To donate blood in such cases, you should wait 3 months or more.
Constant contraindications include the presence of AIDS, viral hepatitis, acquired or congenital syphilis, carriage of HIV infection, eczema, generalized psoriasis, complete blindness, complete lack of speech and hearing, drug addiction, malignant neoplasms, alcoholism, surgical interventions regarding transplantation or resection of any organs and tissues.
Donor recommendations
Before direct donation of blood to donors is not recommended:
- drink alcohol in less than 2 days;
- donate blood on an empty stomach (in the morning it is advisable to eat a carbohydrate, but low-fat breakfast);
- eat fatty, spicy, fried, smoked, butter, dairy products and eggs the night before;
- smoke less than 1 hour before the procedure;
- take the drug "Aspirin" and analgesics, as well as any medicines containing them (72 hours before the procedure);
- donate blood for malaise, headache, chills, dizziness, or weakness.
After the procedure, the donor should refrain from heavy physical exertion. Within 2 days after blood donation, you need to fully eat, as well as drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day (tea, juices and water). To restore pressure, the volunteer needs to consume foods such as coffee, chocolate and hematogen.
Limitations to Donors
As you know, blood donation leads to a significant loss of fluid in the human body, as well as to a decrease in pressure. In this regard, the following restrictions have been imposed on donors:
- Members of the stronger sex are allowed to donate whole blood no more than 5 times a year, while women - no more than 4 times in 12 months.
- According to the current rules in our country, you can donate whole blood no more than 1 time in 2 months.
- Repeated plasma donation takes place only after 14 days.
- After taking whole blood, donating plasma is allowed only after a month.
- It is not allowed to donate blood after a sleepless night.
- A volunteer must not weigh less than 45 kg. The body temperature before blood donation should not be higher than 37 ° C, and pressure - from 80 to 160 mm RT. Art. and from 70 to 100 mm RT. Art. respectively. The donor's heart rate should be around 55-100 beats per minute.
- Representatives of the weaker sex should not be given whole blood during the period of menstruation or seven days before their onset, as well as within a week after. In addition, women are prohibited from becoming donors during lactation and pregnancy.
To summarize
Where do they donate blood? If you do not have any contraindications for the delivery of your material, then you should contact the nearest donor point. As a rule, they are available in every city of the Russian Federation.