Blood donations help those who have been victims of accidents, fires, surgeries, and those battling cancer, or suffering from chronic diseases [1]. For more information about the importance of blood donations and how to do it, you can check the posts “Why are blood donations so important?” and “What is the process to donate blood?”. In this post, we will describe what happens to the blood once it is donated, and when each part of the blood is used.
Before the blood is used with patients, the extra tubes collected at the same time of the donation are tested for infectious diseases and blood type within 24h [2]. If a test result is positive, the donation will be discarded, and the donor will be notified. These results are confidential, therefore, they will only be shared with the donor unless required by law.
Whole blood donations are the most common type of blood donation. It contains red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma [3]. It can be used entirely or separated into its different components.
Red blood cells (also called erythrocytes) are produced in the bone marrow and are in charge of carrying oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, and CO2 from the tissues to the lungs [4].
White blood cells are removed to avoid their deterioration and release of cytokines, which could cause an immunological reaction. However, granulocytes are a type of white blood cell that is safe to donate. Since their storage time is short, donations are only collected when needed [3].
Platelets help stop and/or prevent further bleeding by clumping together [5]. There is always a constant need for donors since its storage time is short.
Plasma is the liquid that allows the rest of the cells to move. It is made of 92% water, 7% proteins and 1% electrolytes, enzymes, hormones and vitamins [6]. Even though it is mainly made of water, it carries out many different functions such as regulating body temperature; transporting nutrients, hormones and gases to the target tissues; and removing waste products from the tissues. Plasma can also be further separated into Cryoprecipitated Antihemophilic Factor (Cryo), which is rich in clotting factors [7].
*Sickle cell disease - Disorder that affects the shape of red blood cells limiting their function.
**Thrombocytopenia - Low platelet count that leads to non-stop bleeding.
Since storage time differs between each type of donation - some are relatively short - and blood types have to match, it is absolutely crucial to donate. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a shortage in blood donations. Keep an eye on the next post where we will describe how the centres operate to keep everyone safe!
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Written by: Maria
Edited by: Natasha
BioDecoded is a volunteer group committed to sharing accurate scientific information. For more information about vaccines or other scientific processes, please see previous posts or consult with your personal physician. If you have any questions about this topic, please comment or send them to our email.
References:
How Blood Donations Help. American Red Cross (2022). Available at: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/how-blood-donations-help.html (Accessed: 14 November 2022).
What Happens to Donated Blood. American Red Cross (2022). Available at: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/what-happens-to-donated-blood.html (Accessed: 14 November 2022).
Blood Components. American Red Cross (2022). Available at: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/types-of-blood-donations/blood-components.html (Accessed: 14 November 2022).
Kuhn, V. et al. (2017) "Red Blood Cell Function and Dysfunction: Redox Regulation, Nitric Oxide Metabolism, Anemia", Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, 26(13), pp. 718-742. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5421513/
Fountain, J. and Lappin, S. (2022). "Physiology, Platelet", StatPearls Publishing. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470328/ (Accessed: 14 November 2022).
Mathew J, et al. (2018). “Physiology, Blood Plasma”, StatPearls Publishing. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK531504/?report=classic (Accessed: 14 November 2022).
Nascimento B, et al (2014). “Cryoprecipitate therapy”, British Journal of Anesthesia;113(6):922-34. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4627369/
Granulocytes by apheresis. National Institutes of Health (2022). Available at: https://clinicalcenter.nih.gov/blooddonor/donationtypes/granulocytes.html (Accessed: 14 November 2022).
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