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Who
can give blood?
Any
healthy individual between the ages of 18 - 60 can donate blood.
His/her weight should not be less than 50 kg and his/her hemoglobin
level should range between 12-17.5 gm percent. The donor must not
have a chronic disease that may affect his or the recipient's heath.
If
I am diabetic, can I donate blood?
Diabetics
are of two categories: those who are diet-controlled i.e their blood
sugar level is controlled by proper dieting, and those who must take
medications, such as oral hypoglycemic drugs and insulin. As we have
the best welfare of the donor at heart, we only allow diabetics who
are diet-controlled to donate. Patients on medications are
liable to have fluctuations in their sugar level on donating blood.
I
have been hypertensive for ten years. Can I give blood?
Hypertension
is one of the main causes of donors' deferral. The blood pressure
drops suddenly on withdrawing blood and this may endanger the life
of the donor.
Does
pregnancy /lactation prevent me from being a donor?
Mothers-to-be
need all the support they can get, both physically and
psychologically, in order to have healthy babies. Therefore, they
are temporarily deferred until they deliver and complete their
child's breast-feeding period.
How
often can I donate?
According
to World Health Organization standards, men can donate every 3
months whereas women can donate blood every 4 months. This period
allows the body to replenish its stores of iron between donations.
I
have no time to donate blood, what can I do?
The
process of donation takes no longer than 30 minutes. This includes
the time necessary for filling a questionnaire, a quick medical
examination and the donation process itself.
How
much blood will I lose?
A
unit of blood (the blood bag) can only retain up to 500 ml of blood.
Any increase of blood volume will cause formation of blood clots
inside the pack, which can be very harmful to the patient.
I
am not very fond of needles. Will it hurt very much?
No
body is! This is a natural feeling. The donation needle is designed
specifically to cause as little pain as possible. The tip of the
needle is beveled to ease its insertion. So have no fear and
remember that you may be saving a life!!
What
are the complications of donating blood?
Giving
blood is a relatively safe process and some find it even enjoyable.
Remember that we do a rapid medical examination before you donate to
make sure you are completely fit and well. You may feel some
dizziness, which is usually temporary. We make you lay down till you
are completely fit and we give you post-donation advice.
What
should I eat or drink after donation?
You
should drink plenty of fluids during the first few hours following
the donation. As for food, you can have your own regular meals.
Can
I smoke after donation?
Smoking
is better avoided for at least 2 hours after donating blood because
it may result in dizziness and a fainting attack. Remember,
smoking is dangerous to your health anyway!
Can
I develop infections like hepatitis or AIDS when I donate blood?
Each
blood pack and its needle are sterile and disposable, so there is no
fear of contracting infection from the donation. You have the right
to ask your local blood service to show you the completely sealed
blood pack before use.
Is
donation a cause to break my fast during the holy month of Ramadan?
Donation
is not a cause for breaking your fast, but because we have the
donor’s best interests at heart, we usually advise them to donate
after breaking their fast.
See:
Donating
Blood while Fasting
What
are the diseases transmitted by blood transfusions?
Blood
can be highly infectious. It can transmit many diseases, some
of which are fatal. These infections include:
Viral
infections such as AIDS ,viral hepatitis B and C, cytomegalovirus,
Epstein Bar virus, Parvo virus.
Parasitic
infections such as malaria, chagas disease and leishmaniasis.
Bacterial
infections such as syphilis and toxoplasmosis.
What
is the life span of a blood bag?
An
interesting piece of information is that blood in our arteries and
veins needs a temperature of 37º C. When blood is processed
into components, each component has a different life span and is
preserved at a different temperature. Packed red cells have a
life span of 35-45 days. They must be preserved at a temperature
between 2-6º C.
Platelets,
on the other hand, must be preserved at room temperature and their
life span is very short; only five days. In addition, plasma can be
preserved at a temperature of -30º C for a whole year.
How
are patients protected from TTIs (transfusion transmissible
infections)?
Every
single blood bag must be screened for four main parameters as
recommended by the World Health Organization. These parameters are
HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis B and C and Treponema pallidum (the
causative organism of syphilis).
However,
these parameters cannot insure complete safety of the blood bag
because there are many other infective agents transmitted through
blood such as malaria, chagas disease and others. According to the
prevalence of diseases and the national economic status, each
country screens for extra parameters.
Another
effective procedure is selection of donors. This is done by asking
the donors very precise and direct questions about their past
medical history. Selection of donors contributes fundamentally to
the safety of the blood bag.
What
are the benefits of blood donation?
Blood
donation activates the bone marrow, which is the factory for
formation of blood cells. It also has a psychological benefit to the
donor who feels great content at his ability to help a patient.
Do
you have any more questions? Send them to Dr. Amal Mattar at: molly_zak@yahoo.com
and we'll post the answer!
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