Blood Facts
- There is no substitute for human Blood
- Blood makes up about 7% of your body's weight.
- An average adult has about 14 to 18 pints of Blood.
- One standard unit or pint of Blood equals about two cups.
- Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to all of the body.
- Blood carries carbon dioxide and other waste products back to the lungs, kidneys and liver for disposal.
- Blood fights against infection and helps heal wounds.
- One unit of donated whole Blood is separated into components before use (red Blood cells, white Blood cells, plasma, platelets, etc.)
- There are four main Blood types: A, B, AB and O.
- Each Blood type is either Rh positive or negative.
- There are about one billion red Blood cells in a few drops of whole Blood.
- Red Blood cells live about 120 days in our bodies.
- Red Blood cells can be stored under normal conditions for up to 42 days.
- Frozen red Blood cells can be stored for ten years, and more.
- Platelets must be used within five days.
- Platelets are small Blood cells that assist in the process of Blood clotting helping those with leukemia and other cancers, controlling bleeding.
- Plasma, the fourth major component of Blood, is a sticky, pale yellow fluid mixture of water, protein and salts. It is 95% water. The other 5% is made up of nutrients, proteins and hormones.
- Blood Plasma constitutes 55% of the volume of human Blood.
- Plasma helps maintain Blood pressure, carries Blood cells, nutrients, enzymes and hormones, and supplies critical proteins for Blood clotting and immunity.
- Type AB plasma has been considered as the universal Blood plasma type, and therefore AB plasma is given to patients with any Blood type.
- Frozen Plasma can be stored for up to one year.
- Human Blood; red Blood cells, white Blood cells, plasma and platelets are made naturally by the body in the bone marrow.
Facts about the blood donation process
- Donating blood is a safe process. A sterile needle is used only once for each donor and then discarded.
- Blood donation is a simple four-step process: registration, medical history and mini-physical, donation and refreshments.
- Every blood donor is given a mini-physical, checking the donor's temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin to ensure it is safe for the donor to give blood.
- The actual blood donation typically takes less than 10-12 minutes. The entire process, from the time you arrive to the time you leave, takes about an hour and 15 min.
- The average adult has about 10 units of blood in his body. Roughly 1 unit is given during a donation.
- A healthy donor may donate red blood cells every 56 days, or double red cells every 112 days.
- A healthy donor may donate platelets as few as 7 days apart, but a maximum of 24 times a year.
- All donated blood is tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and other infectious diseases before it can be transfused to patients.
