People often refer to giving blood as the gift of life. But the process by which that gift is delivered is often ignored, shrouded in mystery. In that vein, Red Cross Marketing Associate Stephanie Stay explained for The Cavalier Daily the four-step process blood donations go through on their path to a new body.
1. When someone chooses to donate, he must register with a positive form of identification and submit to a test of health history - "basically it's a mini physical," Stay said.
People choose to donate for a variety of reasons, but for Jeff Catina, fourth-year College student and volunteer EMT, donations are a way to say thanks. As a child, Catina underwent surgery that required a blood transfusion.
"I wanted to give back after having that done," he said.
Although some students like Catina can qualify to give up to two pints at once, Stay said students should not be discouraged if at first they do not qualify to give blood. Young women in particular are subject to iron deficiencies which may prevent them from giving immediately. When fixable problems like this arise, Stay said donation centers "definitely encourage that individual to try again another day."
2. If the individual passes the test, the actual donation takes about six to 10 minutes and the individual will provide one "unit" - about one pint of blood.
An average of 16 million blood donations are collected annually in the United States and roughly 38,000 donations are needed on a daily basis, according to the American Red Cross.
To students who are nervous about the process, Catina said, "I would tell them that this is one of the few chances they have to greatly impact somebody's life with such minimal effort. The worst part is the needle, just don't look when they are sticking you and you will be fine."
3. After it has been collected, blood donated to the Red Cross in Charlottesville is sent to a lab in Norfolk for testing, while blood donated through Virginia Blood Services is sent to one in Richmond.\nThe process is "basically the same across the board because we are all governed by the [Food and Drug Administration]," said Marly Fausz, communications manager of Virginia Blood Services, in comparing her blood donation company to the American Red Cross. "The difference is that we donate locally to only the state of Virginia with a headquarters in Richmond."
Upon arrival, blood is spun in a centrifuge to separate the red blood cells, platelets and plasma, Stay said.
Annette Haines, a quality analyst in the University Medical Center's blood bank, said blood is separated like this "primarily for storage purposes." Red blood cells and platelets can be refrigerated - red blood cells for anywhere from 21 to 42 days and platelets for a maximum of five days - while plasma must be frozen and can remain in good condition for up to 12 months.
In addition to separation, test tubes are also taken from each donation and go through a series of 12 tests, including tests for sexually transmitted infections, Stay said.
In the event that tests are positive, lab professionals discard the blood and notify the donor. If they are negative, Stay explained, the unit is deemed "suitable for transfusion."
"Blood is shipped 24 hours a day, seven days a week in American Red Cross trucks when hospitals place orders," she said.
4. The blood is then delivered to hospitals for transfusions. The individual in need takes a test to determine which type of blood he has, and then he will be matched with the appropriate donated blood. O positive is the most common blood type while AB negative is the most rare.
Haines said the type of transfusion, whether it is red blood cells, platelets, plasma or some combination therein, depends on the needs of the patient. Anemic patients may only need red blood cells, while those with liver disease often need plasma replaced. Cancer patients frequently have a low platelet count. "Chemo destroys good platelets as well as bad cancer cells," Haines said, adding that cancer patients may also need more complex transfusions because treatment can make them anemic as well.
"It depends on the situation," Haines said. Doctors determine if a combined transfusion is necessary based on the patient's condition and how much blood he needs. For example, Haines said victims of traumatic accidents who have lost eight pints of blood or more automatically need to have a dose of platelets along with a red blood cell transfusion.
Although this step is the goal of all blood donations, few donors will ever know when or what type of transfusion their blood is used for. Still, there are rare occasions when students can see the effects of anonymous donation. Kayu Muigai, 2011 graduate and former Inter-Fraternity Council chair of community service, said one of his most rewarding experiences working with the organization's annual Crimson War was finding out how the blood drive helped local patients.
"One of the most amazing things during my time as chairman was receiving a letter from a friend in the nursing program here," Muigai said. "She said the blood raised in the Crimson War saved two infants that I'm responsible for. It was a very real moment. Something as simple as giving blood can make such a difference and save lives."
Donated blood units are always in high demand and Haines said the University Medical Center alone uses an average of 135 units a day.\n"A large constitution of donations are from students who might not be in school during those months," Stay said, adding that "people are often loyal and you can count on them to come back, but it sometimes can be a struggle to get blood [donations]."\nFausz agreed that students make up a large portion of the donors, adding that Virginia Blood Services hosts several blood drives per month on Grounds. Coming up the week of Oct. 17 is the annual Crimson War hosted by the Inter-Fraternity Council.\n"The Crimson War is absolutely successful," Fausz said. "On average, we receive anywhere from 600 to 1,000 donations during that week. It's a good time for us"
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