Faq

Set1

Fast Facts

After it is donated, whole blood is most often broken down into components: red blood cells, platelets and plasma.

The 13.9 million units of donated blood each year are broken down into more than 26.5 million units of blood components, which are in turn transfused to about 4.5 million patients per year.*

The American Red Cross supplies blood to 3,000 hospitals across the country.+

The need for blood is great -- on any given day, approximately 38,000 units of red blood cells are needed. *

Approximately 5 percent of the eligible population in the United States donates blood. +

American Red Cross blood collections increased 23.6 percent from 4.95 million in calendar year 1995 to 6.12 million in calendar year 2000 (about 4.3 percent compounded annually). +

How Much Blood is Needed?

  • A liver transplant patient, on average, will need six - 10 units of red blood cells, 20 units of plasma and 10 units of platelets (or one - two units of apheresis platelets).

  • A kidney transplant patient, on average, will need one - two units of red blood cells.

  • A heart transplant patient, on average, will need four - six units of red blood cells.

  • An adult open-heart surgery patient, on average, will need two - six units of red blood cells, two - four units of plasma and one - 10 units of platelets (or one - two units of apheresis platelets).

  • A newborn open-heart surgery, on average, will need one - four units of red blood cells, one - two units of plasma, and one - four units of platelets.

  • Prostate cancer surgery may require two - four units of red blood cells.

  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm may require four - six units of red blood cells.

  • Bone marrow transplant, on average, requires one - two units of red blood cells every other day for two - four weeks and six - eight units of platelets daily (or one - two units of apheresis platelets) for four - six weeks.

  • A leukemia patient may need two - six units of red blood cells and six - eight units of platelets (or one - two units of apheresis platelets) daily for two - four weeks.

  • Patients with sickle cell disease, on average, need 10-15 units of red blood cells to treat severe complications.

  • A premature newborn may need one - four units of red blood cells while in Intensive Care.

Who Gives Blood

Who donates blood to the Red Cross in southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey?

Donor Profile
  • Men: 51 percent
  • Women: 49 percent
  • Repeat Donors: 31 percent
  • First-time Donors: 36 percent

Blood Type Distribution

The approximate distribution of blood types in the US population is *:

Blood Type Approximate Percentage
  • O Rh-positive: 38 percent
  • O Rh-negative: 7 percent
  • A Rh-positive: 34 percent
  • A Rh-negative: 6 percent
  • B Rh-positive: 9 percent
  • B Rh-negative: 2 percent
  • AB Rh-positive: 3 percent
  • AB Rh-negative: 1 percent

Where Blood is Donated

Last year, just 13 percent of the blood collected by the Red Cross in southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey was donated at a regular or "fixed" donation site, while 87 percent was collected at mobile blood drives.

Blood Drives (SE PA and NJ)

  • Community groups: 46 percent
  • Companies: 40 percent
  • High schools: 9 percent
  • Colleges: 4 percent
  • Military: 1 percent

Keeping the Supply Safe+

The Red Cross has nine National Testing Laboratories (NTLs) that test samples from all of the blood we collect. Within 18 hours of submitting blood samples to the NTL, test results are sent back to the blood services region where the donation was given.

Implementation of standardized operating procedures and training and identical equipment at all NTLs improve quality control and facilitates the adoption of new technology. Each lab implements a quality assurance program to help maintain high testing standards.

If testing indicates a unit of blood may pose a threat to a patient, the unit is destroyed. The donor is then entered into the Donor Deferral Register, a national computerized database of more than 250,000 individuals who are deferred from donating blood.

Each American Red Cross blood donation also undergoes nucleic acid testing (NAT), an investigational testing method used to detect both HIV-1 and hepatitis C before the body has begun to produce antibodies. NAT testing at the American Red Cross and most other blood collection centers across the country is being done under an Investigational New Drug (IND) application submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Preliminary results (American Red Cross NAT testing began in April 1999) suggest that the test may be more sensitive than any other screening method.

* Data from the American Association of Blood Banks.

+ Data from the American Red Cross.

Q & A

What kind of research does the Red Cross conduct?

At the Holland Laboratory, near Washington, DC, (and in many blood centers around the country) we carry out research and development to improve the safety and efficacy of blood services in the United States, study molecular biology of blood and the immune response, and develop new biomedical products and technologies that will address the health needs of patients worldwide. +

Can you contract HIV from donating blood?

No. HIV and other transmissible viruses cannot be contracted through blood donation. The equipment used is sterile and used only once, then immediately discarded, and a new needle is used for each donation. +

Why doesn't the Red Cross pay its blood donors to increase the blood supply?

Scientific data shows that people who donate blood for altruistic reasons are the safest blood donors. As an extra layer of safety to the blood supply, Red Cross accepts only volunteer blood donors.+

How Much Blood is Donated?

Approximately 13.9 million units of whole blood are donated in the United States each year by approximately 8 million volunteer blood donors.* The American Red Cross collects approximately half of the nation's blood supply.+


SET 2

What are the criteria for donating blood?

In the interests of ensuring the safest possible blood supply, there are a number of criteria for donating blood. In general, these criteria relate to either the safety of the donor or the safety of the person who receives the blood - the recipient.

These criteria for donating blood are assessed in 2 main ways: firstly, all blood donors complete a confidential donor questionnaire and have an interview with a nurse and secondly by routine testing on all donations for certain infections that are known to be transmissible by blood transfusion.

I had cancer, can I donate?

In most cases, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service accepts people who remain free of cancer five years after the completion of treatment. The five year deferral is to protect the donor’s health by ensuring as far as possible that the cancer is gone and will not recur. Five years is the period most often used by cancer doctors to define a presumed cure.

However, people with a history of cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma that involve the blood production system directly, are permanently excluded from donating for the benefit of their own health.

I had a heart attack but I am doing well now. Can I donate?

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service does not accept donations from anyone who has had a heart attack. This is to protect the health of the donor.

I had hepatitis, can I donate?

People with a history of hepatitis due to infection cannot donate for at least 12 months after full recovery and clearance of infection. After that, their first donation is subject to extra testing to rule out chronic (persistent) infection.

I have herpes, can I donate?

Yes, provided you are not currently suffering a primary or acute episode. Any lesions must be clean and dry.

I have Multiple Sclerosis (MS), can I donate?

No. Multiple Sclerosis may affect your fitness to tolerate regular blood donation.

I had Dengue fever, can I donate?

You can donate blood four weeks after recovery from Dengue Fever.

I had leukemia or lymphoma, can I donate?

No, anyone with a history of leukaemia or lymphoma cannot donate blood in case of recurrence.

I have Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), can I donate?

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus may affect your fitness to tolerate regular blood donation. It is also possible that regular blood donations could possibly affect the severity of a chronic inflammatory condition such as SLE.

I had glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis or mono), can I donate?

Yes, when you are fully recovered. If you have had any signs of liver involvement (such as yellow jaundice), you will need to wait 12 months after recovery and then be screened for hepatitis.

I have travelled outside of Australia. Can I still donate blood?

In most cases, yes. However, there are 3 areas of concern related to infection risks with overseas travel. Firstly, travel to an area with a risk of insect-borne or animal-borne infections can result in symptomless infection that can be transmitted through blood transfusion. While there are a number of different risks associated with a variety of overseas countries, the most common example is malaria, prevalent in many tropical and sub-tropical areas. To prevent transmission of malaria from donors who have travelled to these countries, for a period of at least 12 months their donations are only used for processed plasma products, in which the malaria organism can be effectively removed.

Secondly, some overseas countries have a high prevalence of HIV infection among the general community. A person who has sex with a person who lives in one of these areas is deferred from donating for a period of 12 months in order to exclude the possibility of HIV transmission.

Thirdly, a few overseas areas are experiencing outbreaks of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), the human form of "mad cow disease" or bovine spongiform encephalopathy. In 2004, there were two reported cases of patients diagnosed with vCJD who each received a transfusion from a blood donor who subsequently developed vCJD. Based on this information, and in the absence of a reliable screening test, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service currently excludes people from donating who have resided in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996 for a cumulative period of 6 months or more, or who have received blood transfusions in the UK since 1 January 1980.

Why does the Australian Red Cross Blood Service not accept donations from men who have had sex with men (gay and bi-sexual men)?

State and Territory legislation and requirements of the Code of Good Manufacturing Practice for Human Blood and Tissues mandate donor selection on the basis of certain risk behaviours. The exclusion of men who have had sex with men in the past 12 months is based on the statistically higher incidence of some blood borne diseases amongst such groups, and on the existence of ‘window period’ infections. In this context, the ‘window period’ is the time between contraction of a disease and the capacity of testing to detect it in the human body. Such deferrals are in accordance with international practice.

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service is motivated only by the requirement to supply the safest possible blood to the Australian community. There is no other judgement being made, and we urge all who are precluded from participating as blood donors to consider other ways of serving the community through voluntary activity with the Australian Red Cross.

Why doesn't the Australian Red Cross Blood Service collect blood from inmates of correctional institutions?

Legislation prohibits the collection of blood donations from anyone who has been imprisoned (in prison or lockup for more than 72 hours) within the last 12 months. The reason for this restriction is that the incidence of hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV infection is significantly higher in the prison population compared to the general community.

What tests does the Australian Red Cross Blood Service perform on donated blood?

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service tests each donation for ABO (blood type) and Rhesus groups (eg, Positive or negative). We also test for five transfusion-transmissible infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, hepatitis B, Human T Lymphotropic Virus- HTLV, and syphilis) with seven different tests. Specifically, we test for antibody to hepatitis C, the hepatitis B surface antigen, antibody to both HIV-1 and HIV-2, antibody to HTLV types I and II and antibodies to syphilis.

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service to further test all donations for HIV-1 and hepatitis C RNA using Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT). This process is different from traditional testing because it looks for the actual presence of viruses, in this case HIV and HCV. Most other tests detect the presence of antibodies, which are the body's response to an infection and which take time to develop. NAT provides an opportunity to further improve the safety of the blood supply by reducing the "window period", which is the time between exposure to a virus to the time current tests are able to detect antibodies to the virus.

Does the Australian Red Cross Blood Service notify donors of test results? How long will it take to get notification of abnormal results?

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service notifies a donor of any abnormal results on infectious disease screening once testing is completed usually within 2 weeks. The donor is advised about their health implications of the positive tests. The information is confidential and released only to the donor and agencies as required by law such as the State Department of Health.

If I am not contacted, does that mean that I'm ok and have no disease?

No. The purpose of tests conducted by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service is as a screen to ensure the safest possible transfusions. Its testing is confined only to a specific group of blood borne diseases for which there are suitable high volume tests. Donors should not solely rely on ARCBS tests as to their overall health.

I received a letter from the Australian Red Cross Blood Service about a false positive result. The letter said it was nothing to worry about, but I had a re-test with my doctor to make sure and it was negative. Does this mean I can donate again?

You need to call the Australian Red Cross Blood Service Medical Officer for more information regarding any testing results before donating.

I have been told by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service in the past that my ALT (Liver function test) was too high for me to donate. If my ALT is back to normal, am I OK to donate again?

Our current guidelines state that as long as your doctor has excluded any serious ongoing liver disease we can accept you back as a blood donor. Check with an Australian Red Cross Blood Service Medical Officer if you would like to know more.

Why are Cytomegalovirus (CMV) negative donors important?

CMV is a virus that is commonly transmitted between people, for example, by close contact in day-care settings, via breast milk, through sexual contact and by blood transfusion. Between 40-90% of the general population have been exposed to the virus in the past. In people who are well with a normal immune system, the infection usually goes unnoticed and they do not have any symptoms of the infection. However this is not the case for people who have a weakened immune system, such as premature babies and people needing a bone marrow or organ transplant. CMV infection in these people can be very serious.

CMV can be transmitted by blood transfusion. For this reason it is recommended that particular groups of patients, who are at risk of getting severe consequences of CMV infection, receive blood that has been tested and found negative for CMV exposure. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service screens blood donations for CMV antibodies, which if positive indicate that the donor has been exposed to CMV in the past.

CMV negative donors are important as only a small proportion of donors will be CMV negative (meaning that they have not previously been exposed to CMV) and it is very important to give CMV negative blood to particular patient groups, such as premature babies.

Does the Australian Red Cross Blood Service pay donors for donations?

No. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service receives only voluntary donations of blood. This is in keeping with international Red Cross policy that encourages the concept of voluntary non-remunerated blood donation to support safe blood supply.

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service does not provide monetary incentives (including cost- of- travel reimbursement) to potential blood donors as laid down by International standards and policy. This policy helps us ensure all blood donations to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service are strictly and truly voluntary helping us safeguard the safety and quality of Australia's blood supply.

To increase blood donations, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service should offer free blood screening for things like cholesterol. Why don't you do this?

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service's responsibility is to supply blood and blood products to the Australian hospitals and community. The purpose of tests conducted by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service is as a screen to ensure the safest possible transfusions. Its testing is confined only to a specific group of blood borne diseases.

I am tired of receiving calls from the Australian Red Cross Blood Service asking me to donate. How do I go about getting my name off this list?

From time to time, certain donors may be contacted by phone, e-mail or letter and invited to donate blood. Telephone invitations are often used when a certain blood type is in short supply or donor numbers in a particular location are low. They are also used in conjunction with reminder letters and e-mail to maintain normal blood stocks.

If you would like to specify your preferred method of contact with the blood service (be it phone, post, e-mail or not at all) please contact us on 13 14 95 or write to your nearest donation centre and ask to be removed from their mailing and or calling lists.