As we march together through the pandemic, many people are searching for ways to help others. One of the easiest ways to support the surrounding community is to schedule a local blood bank visit and make a donation.

According to the Red Cross, someone in the US needs blood every two seconds. The US requires 38,000 blood donations every day to meet the demand. While almost half of Americans are eligible to give blood, only 2% of the population donates.

Each blood donation saves up to three lives.

Covid-19 patients often require life-saving blood, plasma, and platelet transfusions. But hospitals need blood products for day-to-day patient care. 

Blood products are used during surgery for car accidents and other trauma. Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy often require frequent transfusions. Patients with chronic conditions, like sickle cell anemia, require transfusions throughout their lives. 

In my specialty, Obstetrics, and Gynecology, blood transfusions are sometimes needed to save a pregnant person’s life. Pregnancy conditions like preeclampsia destroy red blood cells and prevent blood from clotting. Conditions like uterine atony, placenta previa, and placental abruption often require mass transfusion protocols to keep mom and baby safe.

The Red Cross reports the US uses 36,000 units of red blood cells, 7,000 units of platelets, and 10,000 units of plasma every day

The reduction in blood donations is an under-reported pandemic side effect. Lockdown forced many blood banks across the country to close or delay donations. Community blood drives were canceled. Blood donations slowed a the same time the high number of critically ill patients due to Covid-19 increased the hospital demand.

The surge in Covid-19 cases last fall struck just as national blood banks hit their traditional donation “slow season” from Thanksgiving through the Holiday Season.

One gift Americans can give is a blood donation. Community involvement is crucial to increase the blood products available to people who need them.

Donating blood is not as scary as it sounds. After booking an appointment, donors will fill out a health history. If the donor meets the designated criteria, a staff member will insert an intravenous line (IV) into a vein. The process lasts about 10 minutes for whole blood donation and longer for plasma and platelet donation.

Most blood banks need all blood types and blood products, including plasma and platelets. Red blood cells (RBCs) help deliver oxygen from the lungs to tissues and organs. Platelets help the blood clot after an injury.

Type O negative blood is in high demand. People with type O blood are known as “universal donors.” Type O negative blood can be used in the highest number of people.

The FDA has released updated guidelines regarding blood donation and Covid-19. The FDA highlights the fact that blood transfusions do not transmit respiratory viruses. There have been “no reported cases of transfusion-transmitted coronavirus, including SARS-CoV-2, worldwide.”

Like The Red Cross and Carter Blood Bank, blood banks have updated blood donation eligibility guidelines for those who have already received a Covid-19 vaccine.

People who received the Pfizer, Moderna, or Janssen/Johnson and Johnson vaccine (or AstraZeneca from countries where it has been approved) may donate blood without delay in most cases. Most blood banks request donors provide the data and name of the vaccine to verify eligibility.

All donors must be in good health and have a normal temperature on the day of donation. People who recovered from a previous Covid-19 infection can also donate 14 days after all symptoms have disappeared. Covid-19 survivors who received monoclonal antibody therapy may donate blood with site-specific restrictions.

Blood banks are still in search of plasma donations from Covid-19 survivors. Plasma contains antibodies which are proteins made by the body to help fight infection. Convalescent plasma from patients who recovered from Covid-19 may have life-saving antibodies. The FDA approved convalescent plasma use for hospitalized Covid-19 patients under an emergency use authorization.

Anyone interested in donating plasma after a Covid-19 infection may sign up here.

The Red Cross and Carter Blood Bank will not accept a donation from those currently quarantine by a health care provider after exposure to Covid-19. Donors should wait until fourteen days after exposure before scheduling.

All blood donations are tested for Covid-19 before being released into the nation’s blood pool.

As the world grinds through the long days of the pandemic, each one of us can do our part. A ten-minute blood donation can save lives.

Any donor willing to help save lives may schedule at the Red Cross here. Carter Blood bank is also accepting donations at various locations across the US. To schedule, click here.

 Let’s make kindness more contagious than the pandemic. 

The post Donating Blood is an Easy Way to Help Out During the Pandemic appeared first on Medika Life.

Without blood, the human body would stop working.

Blood is a specialized body fluid. It has four main components: plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Blood has many different functions, including:

• transporting oxygen and nutrients to the lungs and tissues
• forming blood clots to prevent excess blood loss
• carrying cells and antibodies that fight infection
• bringing waste products to the kidneys and liver, which filter and clean the blood
• regulating body temperature

The blood that runs through the veins, arteries, and capillaries is known as whole blood, a mixture of about 55 percent plasma and 45 percent blood cells. About 7 to 8 percent of your total body weight is blood. An average-sized man has about 12 pints of blood in his body, and an average-sized woman has about nine pints. 

The Components of Blood and Their Importance

Many people have undergone blood tests or donated blood, but hematology – the study of blood – encompasses much more than this. Doctors who specialize in hematology (hematologists) are leading the many advances being made in the treatment and prevention of blood diseases.

If you or someone you care about is diagnosed with a blood disorder, your primary care physician may refer you to a hematologist for further testing and treatment.

Plasma

The liquid component of blood is called plasma, a mixture of water, sugar, fat, protein, and salts. The main job of the plasma is to transport blood cells throughout your body along with nutrients, waste products, antibodies, clotting proteins, chemical messengers such as hormones, and proteins that help maintain the body’s fluid balance. 

Red Blood Cells (also called erythrocytes or RBCs)

Known for their bright red color, red cells are the most abundant cell in the blood, accounting for about 40 to 45 percent of its volume. The shape of a red blood cell is a biconcave disk with a flattened center – in other words, both faces of the disc have shallow bowl-like indentations (a red blood cell looks like a donut).

Production of red blood cells is controlled by erythropoietin, a hormone produced primarily by the kidneys. Red blood cells start as immature cells in the bone marrow and after approximately seven days of maturation are released into the bloodstream. Unlike many other cells, red blood cells have no nucleus and can easily change shape, helping them fit through the various blood vessels in your body. However, while the lack of a nucleus makes a red blood cell more flexible, it also limits the life of the cell as it travels through the smallest blood vessels, damaging the cell’s membranes and depleting its energy supplies. The red blood cell survives on average only 120 days.

Red cells contain a special protein called hemoglobin, which helps carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body and then returns carbon dioxide from the body to the lungs so it can be exhaled. Blood appears red because of the large number of red blood cells, which get their color from the hemoglobin. The percentage of whole blood volume that is made up of red blood cells is called the hematocrit and is a common measure of red blood cell levels.

White Blood Cells (also called leukocytes)

White blood cells protect the body from infection. They are much fewer in number than red blood cells, accounting for about 1 percent of your blood.

The most common type of white blood cell is the neutrophil, which is the “immediate response” cell and accounts for 55 to 70 percent of the total white blood cell count. Each neutrophil lives less than a day, so your bone marrow must constantly make new neutrophils to maintain protection against infection. Transfusion of neutrophils is generally not effective since they do not remain in the body for very long.

The other major type of white blood cell is a lymphocyte. There are two main populations of these cells. T lymphocytes help regulate the function of other immune cells and directly attack various infected cells and tumors. B lymphocytes make antibodies, which are proteins that specifically target bacteria, viruses, and other foreign materials.

Platelets (also called thrombocytes)

Unlike red and white blood cells, platelets are not actually cells but rather small fragments of cells. Platelets help the blood clotting process (or coagulation) by gathering at the site of an injury, sticking to the lining of the injured blood vessel, and forming a platform on which blood coagulation can occur. This results in the formation of a fibrin clot, which covers the wound and prevents blood from leaking out. Fibrin also forms the initial scaffolding upon which new tissue forms, thus promoting healing.

A higher than normal number of platelets can cause unnecessary clotting, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks; however, thanks to advances made in antiplatelet therapies, there are treatments available to help prevent these potentially fatal events. Conversely, lower than normal counts can lead to extensive bleeding.

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

A complete blood count (CBC) test gives your doctor important information about the types and numbers of cells in your blood, especially the red blood cells and their percentage (hematocrit) or protein content (hemoglobin), white blood cells, and platelets. The results of a CBC may diagnose conditions like anemia, infection, and other disorders. The platelet count and plasma clotting tests (prothombin time, partial thromboplastin time, and thrombin time) may be used to evaluate bleeding and clotting disorders.

Your doctor may also perform a blood smear, which is a way of looking at your blood cells under the microscope. In a normal blood smear, red blood cells will appear as regular, round cells with a pale center. Variations in the size or shape of these cells may suggest a blood disorder.

Where Do Blood Cells Come From?

Blood cells develop from hematopoietic stem cells and are formed in the bone marrow through the highly regulated process of hematopoiesis. Hematopoietic stem cells are capable of transforming into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. These stem cells can be found circulating in the blood and bone marrow in people of all ages, as well as in the umbilical cords of newborn babies. Stem cells from all three sources may be used to treat a variety of diseases, including leukemia, lymphoma, bone marrow failure, and various immune disorders.

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Red Blood Cells

Red blood cells (RBC) are also called erythrocytes. They deliver oxygen from your lungs to your tissues and organs. Blood cells constantly die and your body makes new ones. Red blood cells live about 120 days. Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and your principal means of delivering oxygen to the body tissues—via blood flow through the circulatory system.

The cytoplasm of erythrocytes is rich in hemoglobin, an iron-containing biomolecule that can bind oxygen and is responsible for the red color of the cells. Carbon monoxide is so dangerous because it binds far better to hemoglobin than oxygen.

White Blood Cells

White blood cells (WBCs), also called leukocytes or leucocytes. They are a component of the immune system that is involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. All white blood cells are produced and derived from cells in the bone marrow known as hematopoietic stem cells. Leukocytes are found throughout the body, including the blood and lymphatic system. Some white blood cells live less than a day, but others live much longer.

All white blood cells have nuclei, which distinguishes them from the other blood cells, such as red blood cells and platelets. The two main categories of white blood cells are granulocytes and agranulocytes.

Platlets

Platelets, also called thrombocytes, help blood to clot when you have a cut or wound. Bone marrow, the spongy material inside your bones, makes new blood cells. and platelets live about 6 days. Like red cells, platelets have no nucleus. However, unlike red cells that originate in the marrow as nucleated cells and lose their nucleus, platelets are produced by budding off from a giant multi nucleated marrow cell called a megakaryocyte.

Blood Plasma

Blood plasma is the pale yellow colored liquid component of blood that normally holds the blood cells in whole blood in suspension. It makes up about 55% of the body’s total blood volume. It is the intravascular fluid part of extracellular fluid (all body fluid outside of cells).

It is mostly water (up to 95% by volume), and contains dissolved proteins (6–8%) (i.e.—serum albumins, globulins, and fibrinogen), glucose, clotting factors, electrolytes (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3−, Cl−, etc.), hormones, and carbon dioxide . Plasma also serves as the protein reserve of the human body. It plays a vital role in an intravascular osmotic effect that keeps electrolytes in balanced form and protects the body from infection and other blood disorders.

How Blood is Typed (classified)

Blood types are determined by the presence or absence of certain antigens – substances that can trigger an immune response if they are foreign to the body.  Since some antigens can trigger a patient’s immune system to attack the transfused blood, safe blood transfusions depend on careful blood typing and crossmatching.

There are four major blood groups determined by the presence or absence of two antigens – A and B – on the surface of red blood cells. In addition to the A and B antigens, there is a protein called the Rh factor, which can be either present (+) or absent (–), creating the 8 most common blood types (A+, A-, B+, B-, O+, O-, AB+, AB-).

We use one of two systems to classify blood, the ABO system or the Rh System. The Rh System simply classifies you as being Rh+ or Rh-. Being positive means simply your blood has the Rh protein antigen, being negative indicates the protein antigen is not present in your blood. The ABO system identifies the presence, or absence, of A,B, AB antigens in your blood

• Donors with blood type A… can donate to recipients with blood types A and AB
• Donors with blood type B… can donate to recipients with blood types B and AB
• Donors with blood type AB… can donate to recipients with blood type AB only
• Donors with blood type O… can donate to recipients with blood types A, B, AB and O (O is the universal donor: donors with O blood are compatible with any other blood type)

Rh-negative blood is given to Rh-negative patients, and Rh-positive or Rh-negative blood may be given to Rh-positive patients. The rules for plasma are the reverse. Things become more complicated with the addition of the Rh Factor protein. the info-graphic provided below expands the full combinations of the donor/ recipient relationship.

Note: The universal red cell donor has Type O negative blood.The universal plasma donor has Type AB blood.

Prevalence of Blood Types Globally

Just how widespread are certain blood types within the general population? AB- is by far the rarest. Refer to the info-graphic below for other blood types.

Inheriting Blood Types

Like eye color, blood type is passed genetically from your parents. Whether your blood group is type A, B, AB or O is based on the blood types of your mother and father. This makes blood typing an integral part of paternity suits. The table below will explain the combinations in more detail.

Note: If you have questions about paternity testing or about blood group inheritance, your primary care physician should be able to provide you with an appropriate referral. Testing difficulties can cause exceptions to the above patterns. ABO blood typing is not sufficient to prove or disprove paternity or maternity.

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