Expert from global health system says procedure is relatively simple for donor, yet can be
life-saving for recipients such as trauma, surgical and thalassemia patients.
“Hospitals are always looking to increase their blood supplies,” says Thomas Waters, MD, emergency medicine physician with Cleveland Clinic. “Blood that is donated can be used for patients who are undergoing surgery, for trauma patients who’ve had a significant injury or patients with other medical conditions such as cancer or thalassemia that might require a transfusion.”
Most donors do not experience any discomfort after giving blood, and most healthy people aged 18 to 65 can safely donate blood, although they should check their local health authority’s guidelines for exceptions, says Dr Waters.
While a key objective of World Blood Donor Day is to highlight the continuous need for regular, unpaid blood donation to achieve universal access to safe blood transfusion, the WHO reports an encouraging global increase in blood donations. According to the health body, an increase of 10.7 million blood donations from voluntary unpaid donors from 2008 to 2018 was reported by 119 countries. The highest increase of voluntary unpaid blood donations was in the South-East Asia Region (127%) followed by the Region of the Americas (81%) and Africa (81%).
The most common type of blood requested by hospitals is type O, and especially O negative, which can be given to almost all individuals, making it useful in transfusions where time is of the essence. However, Dr. Waters adds that hospitals still need donations of all blood types to maintain healthy supplies.
For those who’ve never donated, the blood donation process is relatively simple, according to Dr. Waters. “Approaches may differ by location, but typically, you’ll complete a donor registration, then go over your health history and do a mini physical. From there, a medical professional will hook you up for the blood draw, which normally takes eight to 10 minutes,” he says. “However, if you’re donating platelets, red cells or plasma, it can take up to two hours.”
According to Cleveland Clinic, because a healthy body continues to make blood, new red blood cells will replace those that were donated in approximately four to six weeks. It is safe to donate whole blood every 56 days, but could be sooner or longer depending on the type of blood component that is donated.
Dr. Waters has some advice for those who may be nervous to donate: “There are a lot of people out there who are afraid of needles, so understandably it can be a scary event to undertake,” he said. “But it is safe, it’s very simple, it’s relatively painless, you’ll feel a little pinch. It only takes a few minutes and, again, it can be life-saving for someone who needs a transfusion.”
About Cleveland Clinic:
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 81,000 employees worldwide are more than 5,743 salaried physicians and researchers, and 20,160 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,690-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 276 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2023, there were 13.7 million outpatient encounters, 323,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 301,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 132 countries.
