Whole blood donation is a safe and voluntary process where a donor gives approximately 350/450 ml (one unit) of their blood, which includes:

• Red blood cells
• White blood cells
• Platelets
• Plasma

Eligibility Criteria

1. Age: 18-65 years (First-time donors should be no older than 60 yrs)
2. Weight: 50 kg or more
3. Hemoglobin: 12.5 g/dl or more
4. Blood Pressure: Normal range
5. Temperature: Normal range

Benefits

• Helps patients undergoing surgery, cancer treatment, or organ transplants
• Supports treatment of blood disorders like Thalassemia and hemophilia
• Saves lives in emergency situations like accidents or natural disasters
• Donors are always examined before donation so helps the donor to remain disease free or early detection of some life style disease

Process of Donation

• Registration and medical screening
• Physical examination
• Donation (approximately 7-10 minutes)
• Post-donation rest and refreshments
• Appreciation of effort of voluntary donation

Frequency of Donation

• Every 3 months (for males)
• Every 4 months (for females)

Pre-donation Care

• Donors must be well rested and well hydrated
• Kindly avoid heavy meals and fatty foods
• Refrain from smoking & alcohol consumption

Post-donation care

• Ensure to drink more fluids than usual in next 4 hours and do not remain hungry
• Do not smoke for half an hour at least
• Do not take alcoholic drinks for at least 6 hours
• If there is bleeding from phlebotomy site, raise the arm and apply gentle pressure
• If donor feels giddiness, ask him to lie down immediately or sit with head between knees and rest for some time. If symptoms persist, consult the doctor. Legs should be raised if possible, till the doctor arrives.
• Do not do heavy exercise for next 2 to 4 days at least
• You can remove bandage after 4 to 6 hours

Platelet donation is a specialized blood donation process that involves extracting platelets from the donor's blood. It is also known as Apheresis Platelet Donation or Single Donor Platelet Donation (SDP).

Why platelet donation is important

• Platelets help control bleeding and clotting
• Patients undergoing cancer treatment, organ transplants, or surgery require platelet transfusions
• Patients having Dengue or malaria may require platelet transfusion
• Platelets are vital for treating blood disorders like thrombocytopenia

Eligibility Criteria

1. Age: 18-60 years
2. Weight: 50 kg or more
3. Hemoglobin: 12.5 g/dl or more
4. Blood Pressure: Normal range
5. Male or nulliparous female
6. No comorbid conditions

donation process

• Registration and medical screening
• Blood Grouping and TTI testing
• Plateletpheresis (approximately 1-2 hours):
  • Blood is drawn from one arm.
  • Platelets are separated using a special machine (Apheresis Equipment).
  • Remaining blood components (devoid of Platelets) are returned to the donor.
• Post-donation rest and refreshments

Key differences from whole blood donation

• Time: Platelet donation takes longer than whole blood donation (1-2 hours vs. 7-10 minutes).
• Frequency: Platelets can be donated every 72 hours (up to 24 times a year but not more than 2 times in a week).
• Equipment: Specialized machines are used for plateletpheresis.

Benefits for donors

• Free medical screening
• Opportunity to help patients in need
• Sense of fulfillment and contribution

Benefits for Patients

• More increment in platelet count after transfusion
• less donor exposure

Pre-donation Care

• Hydrate well
• Avoid fatty foods and caffeine
• Should not have taken antibiotics, aspirin, etc.
• Get plenty of rest

Post-donation care

• Rest for a few hours
• Avoid heavy lifting or strenuous activities
• Monitor for any adverse reactions

Frequency of Donation

• every 72 hours (but not more than 2 times a week)
• Maximum donations per year: 24 times