How your blood donations are used to save lives
A blood donation clinic will be held at Forderville Primary School from 9am until 2pm
If you donated a pint of your lifesaving blood at the Cansa Relay for Life in September, you are eligible to donate a pint again on December 3.
A blood donation clinic will be held at Forderville Primary School from 9am until 2pm. Remember that by donating a pint of blood, you are saving lives of those in need.
How your blood donations are used to save lives. Blood can be divided into three types of transfusable products. These are red cells; platelets and plasma.
ALSO READ: Blood buddies are lifesavers
Typically, two or three of these are produced from a pint of donated whole blood. A single donation can potentially help more than one patient. Donors can give either whole blood or specific blood components – red cells, plasma or platelets – are called apheresis.
One transfusion dose of platelets can be obtained through one apheresis donation of platelets or by combining the platelets derived from five whole blood donations. Most donated red blood cells must be used within 42 days of collection.
Donated platelets must be used within five days of collection – new donations are therefore constantly needed.
Plasma is stored in frozen state and can be used a year after collection.
Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets. The body will replenish the elements given during a blood donation – some in a matter of hours and others in a matter of weeks.
Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
