Types of Donation
Whole Blood
Autologous: It’s the
collection, testing and processing of a
patient's own blood for him or herself. This can only be performed
for planned surgery. SANBS Medical Officer will assess the patient's
eligibility in terms of general health and other requirements.
Directed: A patient can ask a family member or friend to donate.
Chosen donors have to meet the same criteria as normal donors and
must naturally also have a blood type compatible with the patient
receiving the blood.
If blood is donated by first line blood
relatives, it will require a further step of irradiation to
prevent an entity called Transfusion Associated Graft verse
Host Disease.
Apheresis
Platelet: Platelets play a vital role in blood clotting and
prevention of excess blood loss. Platelet donation is a simple
process that takes about two hours to complete. The blood is
processed through a cell separator, which retains the platelets and
returns the other blood components to the donor’s system. This
procedure enables people to donate platelets every month.
Plasma: Plasma contains many important components that can be given
to patients with special needs.
Plasma donation is a similar process to platelet donation, and takes
about 90 minutes. The blood is processed through an aphaeresis
machine that filters out the plasma and returns the red cells and
other cellular components to the donor’s system.
As all the red cells are returned, these donors are able to donate
more frequently than whole blood donors. Specialized equipment is
needed for plasma and platelet donation, so these procedures are
only carried out at particular donor centres or branches.
After donating, eat well and increase your fluid intake for the next
four to six hours. Do not smoke for at least 30 minutes. Also avoid
strenuous physical exertion and lifting heavy objects with the arm
used for making the donation for at least two hours afterwards.
Next >
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What type of blood can I donate
- Whole blood (which is Autologous & Directed);
- Apheresis (which include Platelet & Plasma)
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