How to know if I can donate blood

All of us, at any time in our lives, may need a blood transfusion. According to data from the Red Cross, one in ten hospitalized people needs bloodEvery three seconds someone needs blood and one in every two people living in Spain will need blood at some point in their life.

Despite everything, the same data tells us that only 5% of possible donors give blood per year, a process that does not take us more than 30 minutes when we do it and that allows, with our 450 milliliters of blood that they extract and that divide into red blood cells, plasma and platelets, saving up to three lives.

Why is it important to donate bloode

There is no substitute for blood, it cannot be manufactured outside the body and has a limited lifespan, therefore donors are the only blood supply that saves those who need it. A provision that has to be constant since, as recognized by the World Health Organization (OMS), “the need for blood is universal, but access to it is not.”

There are many reasons why we may need blood. He plasma, this transparent and slightly yellowish liquid that represents 55% of the total blood volume, is used in cases of burns or serious accidents to stop bleeding and recover blood volume or in case someone needs the proteins contained in plasma. In this context, these proteins are extracted to make medications called blood derivatives.

Red blood cells are instead used in the treatment of secondary acute anemia such as chronic anemia and are also given to people who have lost a lot of blood due to trauma. Platelets are used in preventive treatments to avoid cerebral hemorrhages and the recipients are usually hematological patients who do not produce enough platelets or patients with oncological treatments that produce platelet destruction. They are also used as a preventive treatment in tests such as biopsy punctures, in which case of some organ transplants or bone marrow transplants.

Who can donate blood

In Spain there have been about 18.7 million blood donations between 2012 and 2022, according to data from the Spanish Federation of Blood Donors (FEDSANG). A process that is performed through an intravenous sample and is no more painful than a simple blood test.

You will be able to donate blood if you meet several requirements. According to the Blood Bank of the Department of Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya, two of these main conditions relate to issues of age and weight. Are you between 18 and 70 years old and weigh more than 50 kilos? Then you already have a good first reason to be able to donate blood. But you will not be able to make your first donation after turning 60.

If you are a woman, you can do it a maximum of three times a year; If you are a man, the figure is higher and you can donate a maximum of four times a year. But always, in all cases, a minimum of two months must pass between one donation and another. You can also donate blood even if you have high cholesterol and even if you take some of the most common medications, such as aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs (as long as you inform us in advance), since it is normally compatible with donation, although it will depend on the medication and the reason. It is not advisable that you go to donate blood if you are fasting.

You can also donate blood if you are menstruating (and feeling well) or if you take oral contraceptives.

When you can’t donate blood

Instead, you will not be able to donate blood if you are sick with hepatitis B, even if you are already cured, hepatitis C or HIV. Nor if you are an insulin-dependent diabetic, have epilepsy and are undergoing treatment – in this case you can only donate if three years have passed – or have a serious illness.

There are certain circumstances in which you will temporarily not be able to donate blood, such as after undergoing surgery (you must wait between a week and four months before donating); if you have recently had a fever; if you have had an endoscopy or catheterization (the wait in this case is four months); you have undergone acupuncture without disposable equipment (four months); you have had a flu or allergy vaccine (24 hours); have you had a tattoo or piercing (four months); you have traveled outside of Europe (you must wait a minimum of 28 days); you live with hepatitis B patients, even if you are vaccinated, or if you have carried out, in the last four months, actions that may involve contact with another person’s blood.

How to do the donation process

When you go to donate, in order to guarantee your safety and that of the recipient, you will have a medical interview and your blood pressure will be checked, as well as your hemoglobin level. You must also complete a test in which they will ask you questions such as if you are taking or have taken any medication, have you had a fever in the last two weeks, have you been to the dentist, have you received any vaccinations in the last two months, have you undergone any surgery in the last four months, you have traveled outside of Spain in the last 12 months or if you have had, at any time in your life, a heart problem, diabetes or a serious allergic reaction, among many other issues.

An affirmative answer to any of the questions does not mean that we are invalid. The doctor is the one who assesses and decides whether someone is suitable or not. If so, the extraction is carried out in a closed system of bags containing anticoagulant liquid and preservatives. The blood that has been extracted from you analyzes to determine blood group (A, B, AB or O) and the Rh factor, which will be positive or negative depending on the presence or absence of a specific antigen in the blood. This is key information since your blood type and Rh factor must be compatible with that of the person who will receive it.

And then?

After donating blood, it is important not to make significant physical efforts, especially with the pricked arm, at least until the following 24 hours. It is also not advisable to drink alcohol or smoke in the next two hours, but drink plenty of fluids and, in the next six hours, not stand for long periods of time and avoid very hot places.