American Red Cross Can I Give Blood? You need to be at least 17, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health. Blood donors care about making sure your community will always have the blood it needs. Things You Must Know Before Giving: What Should I Do Before Donating? Donating blood will not alter your daily routine in any significant way. We suggest that you do the following things before donating to help you have a great donation experience: • Get a good night’s sleep. • Eat a well-balanced, nutritious meal. • Drink lots of fluids 48 hours before donating. What Is Donating Blood Like? Donating blood is safe, simple and takes about an hour from start to finish. Here’s the process: • Registration: We’ll complete a form and ask for your donor card or picture ID (which must be shown before you donate). • Mini-Physical and Confidential Health History: We’ll check your pulse, temperature, blood pressure and iron to make sure it is safe for you to give. We’ll also ask you detailed questions about your health. • Donating: Actual donation time is about 6 to 12 minutes. • Refreshments: Relax and enjoy a snack and some juice! In The US, About 4 Million People Need Blood Each Year. That’s one person every two seconds, and the overwhelming majority of people who need it would die without it. Healthy, generous donors are the only source of blood. There is no substitute for blood. Blood is needed for emergencies, surgeries and for people who have Does My Blood Really Make A Difference? • Every two seconds, someone in the US receives a blood transfusion. • The American Red Cross needs 25,000 people nationally to donate blood each day to serve patients in need. You Asked. • Only 5% of the eligible population gives blood. • Each unit of blood can help up to 3 people. • One in 10 persons entering the hospital needs blood. The Red Cross Answers. How Often Can I Give? Most healthy persons can give: • blood every 56 days. • automated red cell donation every 112 days. • platelets every 2 weeks (24 times a year). What Testing is Done to My Blood? To ensure the safety of the blood supply, all donated blood goes through testing for HIV, hepatitis, and other diseases. Blood that tests positive is destroyed. Please do not give blood in order for it to be tested. Help keep the blood supply safe! How Much Blood Is Used? Blood usage varies, depending on the type of surgery or illness and whether there are any complications. See picture at right for a few averages. Is It Safe to Give Blood? You cannot contract any infectious diseases, including AIDS, by donating blood. • Donating is safe, quick and easy. Needles, bags and tubing are used only once and discarded. • Donating rarely hurts. You will feel a brief sting in your arm near your elbow. On Average, cancers, blood disorders, sickle cell anemia and other illnesses. Every donation makes a difference in someone’s life! • The need for blood is constant because blood only lasts a maximum of 42 days. • The American Red Cross supplies about one-half of the nation’s blood. There is no substitute for blood. How Does My Blood Help? A single blood donation can be separated into components, which can help more than one person: • Red blood cells help accident victims, surgery patients and those with anemia. • Platelets help the blood • Fluid volume (plasma) will be replenished in about 24 hours, platelets in a few days and red cells in a few weeks. clot and are used for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. • Plasma is used to treat patients suffering from burns or shock. How Many Pints Will You Need If You Have. . . Aneurysm Organ Transplant Car Accident Sickle Cell Heart Anemia Bypass Prostate Cancer Premature Newborn American Red Cross If I Need A Blood Transfusion, Will I Have To Pay? Where Can I Give? 0- 0+ A- A+ B- B+ AB- AB+ 0-0+ You can donate at a local American Red Cross blood mobile or a donor center. Call 1.800.GIVE.LIFE (448.3543) or visit us at www.redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment. Contact Your Blood Drive Coordinator or Locate a Red Cross Donor Center Near You! Although people voluntarily donate their blood through Red Cross, there are still processing costs associated with collecting, testing, processing, and distributing blood. To recover these processing costs, Red Cross, which operates on a not-for-profit basis, charges hospitals a processing fee. Hospitals also incur operating costs for cross-matching and transfusing blood products. Hospitals pass charges 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. A- A+ B- B+ AB-AB+ If You Have Type O Negative Blood, ... then you are a Universal Donor. That means that anyone can use your blood in an emergency. Please consider donating regularly. What Determines My Specific Blood Type? Like eye color, blood type is inherited from the blood types of your mother and father. “O” how we need you! If you are Type O negative, patients of all blood types can use your blood in emergencies. If you’re lucky enough to be type O, consider donating four times a year. Your donation is critical! Columbia Donor Center 2751 Bull St. Columbia, SC 29201 Florence Donor Center 1555-B West Palmetto St. Florence, SC 29501 Myrtle Beach Donor Center 7747 North Kings Hwy., Suite 24 Northwood Plaza Myrtle Beach, SC 29572 Sumter Donor Center 1155 Guignard Dr., Ste. 3 Sumter, SC 29150 Charleston Area Donor Centers 2000 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., Ste. 112 Harrell Square Charleston, SC 29407 920 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Ste. A-10 Village Pointe Shopping Center Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 Medical University of South Carolina 171 Ashley Ave., Rm. 279 Charleston, SC 29425 South Carolina Region BFS_SCAR_BloodFacts_1205