Blood provides
the body with many of the vital elements needed to sustain life.
Platelets are
the part of the blood that stops a person from bleeding. Platelets
are the blood cells that help blood clot.
Plasma is the
liquid portion of blood and contains all of the substances necessary
for normal blood clotting.
Donors cannot donate blood if they meet any of the Deferral
Criteria.
What happens to your whole blood donations?
First, your blood is sent to the lab to determine blood type
and to check for viral diseases.
Next it is sent to the blood component lab to be divided up
into plasma, platelets and red blood cells.
Then it goes to hospital services to be distributed to the Hospital
blood bank.
Finally it goes to a thankful recipient.
The ‘Inventory’ Issue:
Blood inventory levels can fluctuate daily. The temporary shelf
life of blood and a variety of factors, including holidays and
even inclimate weather can affect both donor turnout as well
as blood usage in a matter of hours. Because the need for blood
is constant and ongoing, and at times can even be critical,
our community partners and donors remain a reliable source to
help ensure that blood is always available for patients who
need it.
