LPHS Blood DriveMay 18, 2015

Blood. What is it?

There are four main components of blood.

• Red Blood Cells

• White Blood Cells

• Platelets

• Plasma

Facts about blood

The average adult has 10 - 12 pints of blood in their body.

Blood is a perishable product with a shelf life of only 42 days and platelets only 5 days, so it must be replenished constantly.

Under normal circumstances, about every two seconds someone in America will need blood.

Blood Donation & Eligibility

Whole Blood Donation

A unit of whole blood is collectedfrom a volunteer donor.

After donation, the whole bloodunit is separated into components.

Blood Donation

The entire process lasts about 1 hour.

Donors can give every 56 days, up to 6 times per year.

Blood Donation & Eligibility

To be eligible to donate whole blood someone must:

Be 17 years old or 16 with a signed parental/guardian consent form.

Weigh at least 110 lbs.

Be in good health.

Steps in Donation Process

Registration

Health History and Mini-physical

Donation

Refreshments

Blood Safety

The blood supply is safer today than it has ever been.

It is regulated carefully by the Food and Drug Administration.

About 12 tests are performed on every blood donation.

What happens to the blood after its donated?

Blood Units

Who is helped?

Every day more than 38,000 blood products are needed to treat people with serious medical conditions – people like Elise.

Elise was born with a life-threatening heart defect. In order to save her life, Elise had to undergo an eight-hour surgery to fix her heart defect. She required 22 units of whole blood and clotting factors to make her body strong enough for surgery.