Blood Donation Campaign

On April 24th, 2012, from 9am to 1pm, Royal Bahrain Hospital will open its doors for blood donors to come and give blood.


Here are 25 facts about blood donation:

1. Someone needs blood every two seconds.
2. One pint of blood can save up to three lives.
3. Healthy adults who are at least 17 years old, and at least 110 pounds may donate about a pint of blood – the most common form of donation – every 56 days, or every two months.
4. Four main red blood cell types: A, B, AB and O. Each can be positive or negative for the Rh factor. AB is the universal recipient; O negative is the universal donor of red blood cells.
5. Forty-two days: how long most donated red blood cells can be stored.
6. Five days: how long most donated platelets can be stored.
7. One year: how long frozen plasma can be stored.
8. Much of today's medical care depends on a steady supply of blood from healthy donors.
9. 26.3 pints: the average whole blood and red blood cell transfusion.
10. Children being treated for cancer, premature infants and children having heart surgery need blood and platelets from donors of all types, especially type O.
11. Anemic patients need blood transfusions to increase their red blood cell levels.
12. Cancer, transplant and trauma patients, and patients undergoing open-heart surgery may require platelet transfusions to survive.
13. Many patients with severe sickle cell disease receive blood transfusions every month.
14. A patient could be forced to pass up a lifesaving organ, if compatible blood is not available to support the transplant.
15. Thirteen tests (11 for infectious diseases) are performed on each unit of donated blood.
16. 17 percent of non-donors cite "never thought about it" as the main reason for not giving, while 15 percent say they're too busy.
17. Shortages of all blood types happen during the summer and winter holidays.
18. Blood centers often run short of types O and B red blood cells.
19. If all blood donors gave three times a year, blood shortages would be a rare event (The current average is about two.).
20. 46.5 gallons: amount of blood you could donate if you begin at age 17 and donate every 56 days until you reach 79 years old.
21. Four easy steps to donate blood: medical history, quick physical, donation and snacks.
22. The actual blood donation usually takes about 10 minutes. The entire process – from the time you sign in to the time you leave – takes about an hour.
23. After donating blood, you replace the fluid in hours and the red blood cells within four weeks. It takes eight weeks to restore the iron lost after donating.
24. You cannot get AIDS or any other infectious disease by donating blood.
25. Giving blood will not decrease your strength.