14 June World Blood Donor Day
Let's donate our blood and make a difference !
» Please have a good meal at least 3 hours before donating blood.
» Please accept the snacks offered to you after the donation, it is vital you have them. You are recommended to have a good meal later.
» Please avoid smoking on the day before donating. You can smoke 3 hours after donation.
» You will not be eligible to donate blood if you have consumed alcohol 48 hours before donation.
» Please accept the snacks offered to you after the donation, it is vital you have them. You are recommended to have a good meal later.
» Please avoid smoking on the day before donating. You can smoke 3 hours after donation.
» You will not be eligible to donate blood if you have consumed alcohol 48 hours before donation.
You should not be suffering from any of the following diseases or taking medicines for them
Hepatitis B, C
AIDS
Diabetes (are you under medication currently?)
Fits/ Convulsions (are you under medication currently?)
Cancer
Leprosy or any other infectious diseases
Any allergies (Only if you are suffering from severe symptoms)
Hemophilia/ Bleeding problems
Kidney disease
Heart disease
Hormonal disorders
Any other type of Jaundice (within 5 years)
Tuberculosis (within 2 years)
Chicken Pox (within 1 year)
Malaria (within 1 year)
Organ Transplant (within one year)
Blood Transfusion (within the last 6 months)
Pregnancy (within the last 6 months)
Blood Donation (within the last 3 months)
Major Surgery (within the last 3 months)
Small Pox Vaccination (within the last 3weeks)
Hemoglobin deficiency / Anemia (recently)
Drastic weight loss (recently)
| Blood Groups, Blood Typing and Blood Transfusions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The discovery of blood groups | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Experiments with blood transfusions, the transfer of blood or blood components into a person's blood stream, have been carried out for hundreds of years. Many patients have died and it was not until 1901, when the Austrian Karl Landsteiner discovered human blood groups, that blood transfusions became safer.
Mixing blood from two individuals can lead to blood clumping or agglutination. The clumped red cells can crack and cause toxic reactions. This can have fatal consequences. Karl Landsteiner discovered that blood clumping was an immunological reaction which occurs when the receiver of a blood transfusion has antibodies against the donor blood cells. Karl Landsteiner's work made it possible to determine blood types and thus paved the way for blood transfusions to be carried out safely. For this discovery he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1930. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What is blood made up of? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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An adult human has about 4–6 liters of blood circulating in the body. Among other things, blood transports oxygen to various parts of the body.
Blood consists of several types of cells floating around in a fluid called plasma. The red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that binds oxygen. Red blood cells transport oxygen to, and remove carbon dioxide from, the body tissues. The white blood cells fight infection. The platelets help the blood to clot, if you get a wound for example. The plasma contains salts and various kinds of proteins. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What are the different blood groups? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The differences in human blood are due to the presence or absence of certain protein molecules called antigens and antibodies. The antigens are located on the surface of the red blood cells and the antibodies are in the blood plasma. Individuals have different types and combinations of these molecules. The blood group you belong to depends on what you have inherited from your parents.
There are more than 20 genetically determined blood group systems known today, but the AB0 and Rh systems are the most important ones used for blood transfusions. Not all blood groups are compatible with each other. Mixing incompatible blood groups leads to blood clumping or agglutination, which is dangerous for individuals. Nobel Laureate Karl Landsteiner was involved in the discovery of both the AB0 and Rh blood groups. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AB0 blood grouping system | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
According to the AB0 blood typing system there are four different kinds of blood types: A, B, AB or 0 (null).
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 | If you belong to the blood group A, you have A antigens on the surface of your red blood cells and B antibodies in your blood plasma. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | If you belong to the blood group B, you have B antigens on the surface of your red blood cells and A antibodies in your blood plasma. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | If you belong to the blood group AB, you have both A and B antigens on the surface of your red blood cells and no A or B antibodies at all in your blood plasma. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | If you belong to the blood group 0 (null), you have neither A or B antigens on the surface of your red blood cells but you have both A and B antibodies in your blood plasma. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rh factor blood grouping system | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Many people also have a so called Rh factor on the red blood cell's surface. This is also an antigen and those who have it are called Rh+. Those who haven't are called Rh-. A person with Rh- blood does not have Rh antibodies naturally in the blood plasma (as one can have A or B antibodies, for instance). But a person with Rh- blood candevelop Rh antibodies in the blood plasma if he or she receives blood from a person with Rh+ blood, whose Rh antigens can trigger the production of Rh antibodies. A person with Rh+ blood can receive blood from a person with Rh- blood without any problems.
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| Blood group notation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
According to above blood grouping systems, you can belong to either of following 8 blood groups:
Do you know which blood group you belong to?
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| Blood typing – how do you find out to which blood group someone belongs? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1. You mix the blood with three different reagents including either of the three different antibodies, A, B or Rh antibodies.
2. Then you take a look at what has happened. In which mixtures has agglutination occurred? The agglutination indicates that the blood has reacted with a certain antibody and therefore is not compatible with blood containing that kind of antibody. If the blood does not agglutinate, it indicates that the blood does not have the antigens binding the special antibody in the reagent.
3. If you know which antigens are in the person's blood, it's easy to figure out which blood group he or she belongs to!
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| Blood transfusions – who can receive blood from whom? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Of course you can always give A blood to persons with blood group A, B blood to a person with blood group B and so on. But in some cases you can receive blood with another type of blood group, or donate blood to a person with another kind of blood group.
The transfusion will work if a person who is going to receive blood has a blood group that doesn't have any antibodies against the donor blood's antigens. But if a person who is going to receive blood has antibodies matching the donor blood's antigens, the red blood cells in the donated bloodwill clump.
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Blood is the part of life that is given to those who need it by those who have the resource to satisfy the need. The love of fellow human and a desire to share something of oneself is what singles out a blood donor from the others. Emergencies occur every minute. For each patient requiring blood, it is an emergency and the patients could have set back if blood is not available.
Your blood donation may be even more special than you realize
A single donation from you can help one or more patients. This is possible because whole blood is made up of several useful components. These components perform special functions in your body and in the body of patients who receive your blood. The various blood components are Red Blood Cells, White Blood Cells, Platelets, Plasma and selected Plasma Proteins. Each of these components can be separated from your donated volume of blood and transfused into a specific patient requiring that particular component. Thus, many can benefit from one unit of blood.
Blood is needed every minute
To replace blood lost because of accidents or diseases.
To treat shock due to injury.
For Major & Minor surgeries including open heart surgeries, transplants etc.
For burn victims.
For patients suffering from Anemia.
During child birth for the mother.
For exchange transfusion for new born infants.
To make blood derivatives which are used to treat medical problems.
For children suffering from ailments like Thalassaemia, Hemophilia (bleeding disorders) , Leukemia, Blood Cancer.
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