Wanted: Your blood
In winter all things are scarcer. For hospitals that includes blood; coupling frigid temperatures with distractions of holiday activities and travel, people donate far fewer pints of blood this time of year. That's why January is National Blood Donor Month.
Blood centers like to keep at least a three-day supply on hand; hospitals need about 40,000 units annually. Due to blood's short shelf life, keeping a perpetual and ready supply can be tricky. Platelets must be used within five days of donation and red blood cells within 42 days. Plasma may be frozen for up to a year.
Once donated, blood is assigned a unique code and immediately stored for transport to a Red Cross certified lab. Samples are then tested for disease (donors are notified of any positive results) and to determine potential uses. Whole blood is then separated into its component parts: red blood cells, plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipitate.
Red blood cells are mainly used for surgery and anemia, plasma for burns and transfusions, platelets for chemotherapy patients, and cryoprecipitate for hemophiliacs. Blood is transferred to hospitals when specifically needed.
In cases of non-emergency surgery, you can donate a few weeks in advance for yourself or a loved one. This is called autologous donation. If unused, these donations are discarded.
Healthy people over age 17 and 110 pounds can donate without consequence. Aside from the initial small needle prick, it's painless. Most people donate a pint, which the body easily replaces within a few hours.
Blood cells also regenerate, so one donation can save up to three lives. Yet according to the Federal Emergency Management Administration only three of every 100 Americans donate blood. Most donors are over age 50.
Common fears are unfounded. Needles are used once, then discarded. Donating doesn't cause illness or lasting weakness (energy generally returns within minutes). Health histories and any testing results are strictly confidential.
With blood needed by someone in the U.S. every two seconds, there's no time like the present to donate. Blood centers like Inland Northwest Blood Center in Coeur d'Alene collect 93 percent of the nation's 15 million unit average annual supply. Growth is around 6 percent per year, so INBC works hard to keep up, calling past donors when supply gets low. New donors would greatly help. Most donors are in and out in less than an hour.
Call INBC at (208) 667-5461 - 1321 Northwood Center Court, or visit www.inbcsaves.org, for more information or an appointment. INBC also accepts marrow donations.
Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. E-mail sholehjo@hotmail.com