Blood Donors Guideline

Blood donation and/or its components is a voluntary donation of blood and/or its components by donors, as well as activities aimed at organizing and ensuring the safety of blood donations and its components. Clinical use is associated with the transfusion of the recipient for medicinal purposes. Also, donated blood is used for research and educational purposes; in the production of blood components and drugs.

Blood as a unique therapeutic agent is indispensable for transfusion to victims of burns and injuries, during complex operations and complicated labors. Blood is also vital for patients with hemophilia, anemia and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Modern medicine does not use whole blood to treat patients. Each dose of blood is divided into components. For specialized treatment, blood components and preparations based on donor plasma are used.

Depending on what is required for the needs of patients, donors are divided into:

  • blood donors;
  • plasma donors;
  • blood cell donors (red blood cells, platelets).

An artificial alternative to blood components does not currently exist.

Depending on the donation frequency of blood and its components, donors are divided into the following categories:

  • primary donors;
  • reserve donors performing less than 3 blood, plasma donations annually;
  • active donors performing 3 or more donations during a year.

Medical examination fo a donor

Active donors of blood or its components of both sexes should comply with the following requirements:

  • a medical note every 6 months indicating the diseases transferred over the past 6 months;
  • once a year, to undergo laboratory and clinical tests of urine, X-ray (or fluorographic) examination of the chest organs, electrocardiography (ECG);
  • every 6 months a certificate of lack of contact for hepatitis B and C is required;
  • every 3 months a certificate of lack of contact for hepatitis A is required;
  • a certificate of lack of contact for other infectious diseases should be provided.

Active female donors annually provide a certificate of gynecological status on the day the certificate was issued (previous diseases, surgical interventions, childbirth, absence of pregnancy).

Recommendations before donation

  • If you feel unwell (chills, dizziness, headache, weakness), better to postpone donation.
  • You should not donate blood after a night watch or just a sleepless night.
  • Do not donate on an empty stomach. Be sure to get enough sleep and eat a light breakfast (sweet tea, dry cookies, porridge, an apple).
  • The day before and on the day of blood donation, it is not recommended to eat fatty, fried, spicy and smoked foods, bananas, nuts, as well as dairy products, eggs, butter.
  • 48 hours before donation, you should not drink alcohol, 72 hours before it is better not to take medications containing aspirin and analgesics.
  • Do not smoke one hour before blood donation.

Recommendations after donation

  • After donating blood, it is not recommended to immediately get up, sit calmly for 10-15 minutes, if you feel dizzy, contact the medical staff.
  • Within 3-4 hours, do not remove the bandage and try not to make it wet. This will save you from bruising.
  • Do not smoke two hours after donation.
  • Avoid heavy physical and sports activities, lifting weights, including shopping bags, on this day.

Frequency of blood donations

  • The maximum allowable number of blood donations per year in women is 4 times; in men – 5 times.
  • Intervals between blood supply – 60 days.
  • The intervals between donations of blood components (plasma, platelets) are 14 days. No more than 20 plasma donations should be given per year.
  • The intervals between donations of red blood cells – from 60 to 180 days (depending on the volume of blood cells taken).