Donating blood – rules, contraindications, side effects. What does it take to become a donor?

Proven content

Donating blood is a noble goal. However, in order to make such a gesture, you should know what the contraindications and rules for donating blood are.

1. Blood is a true gift of life that can be given to another person in a relatively simple way
2. Unfortunately, not everyone can become an honorary donor
3. The list of contraindications for donating blood is quite long
4. More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Donating blood – rules

There are specific rules for donating blood. First of all, you should familiarize yourself with the contraindications and questionnaires that are given to donors. Then you need to choose the right day to donate blood. Then you should check the location of the nearest blood donation point, local department, or the Regional Center for Blood and Blood Treatment. You can also use mobile blood collection points – blood buses.

1. On the day of blood donation, eat a light meal, drink plenty of juice and water. Excessive effort should be avoided.

2. To donate blood, you need to bring your ID card or honorary blood donor.

3. Then you need to register and complete a health information questionnaire. After completing the data, you need to go to the station where samples will be taken for hemoglobin testing. After the examination, the doctor calls the donor to the doctor’s office for tests. The specialist will qualify for donating blood or its components, or indicate the reasons why blood cannot be donated.

4. In the next stage, the donor is called to the collection room, where there is an armchair, a dispenser with water and a container with disposable shoes. Before donating blood, select the hand from which to collect blood, and then rinse it thoroughly with a special liquid. In the collection room, a puncture will be placed on your hand, and the blood will automatically flow into the blood container.

5. Blood sampling is painless and does not take too long. After 10 minutes, a unit of blood of 450 ml is donated. Wait 15 more minutes when blood donation is complete. Then you have to go to registration, where the donor will receive chocolate and – if necessary – a doctor’s certificate.

6. After donating blood, follow the instructions of the staff, incl. do not overexert yourself on this day, take the day off, eat regular meals and follow a diet richer in carbohydrates. You should also rest a lot.

Donating blood – contraindications

Donating blood has some contraindications that result in permanent or temporary disqualification.

In the event of a temporary disqualification regarding blood donation, contraindications include:

1. acupuncture, tattoos or piercing of the ears (and other parts of the body) – for 6 months after the procedure,
2. procedures such as: gastroscopy, panedoscopy, arthroscopy, laparoscopy – for 6 months after the procedure,
3. being treated with blood or its components – for 6 months after the end of treatment,
4. breastfeeding – for 3 months after the end of feeding,
5. menstruation – 3 days after the end of menstruation,
6. suffering from influenza and other infections with a fever above 38 degrees C – for 2 weeks after the symptoms disappear after recovery,
7. vaccination against influenza or jaundice – at least after 48 hours,
8. other diseases, e.g. rheumatic fever, tuberculosis, osteomyelitis and flu / cold – causing temporary disqualification of the donor.

In the event of a permanent disqualification from donating blood, contraindications include:

1. cardiovascular diseases, in addition to congenital defects
2. nervous system diseases,
3. tendency to pathological bleeding,
4. respiratory system diseases,
5. diseases of the immune system,
6. diseases of the genitourinary system and kidneys,
7. skin conditions,
8. diseases of the blood and hematopoietic system,
9. diabetes,
10. infectious diseases: hepatitis B and C virus infection, viral hepatitis with undetermined virus type, jaundice of unknown etiology, HIV – 1/2, HTLV I / II, tularemia,
11. syphilis,
12. spongy degeneration of the brain,
13. digestive system diseases, 
14. use of psychoactive substances,
15. malignant tumors, 
16. epilepsy,
17. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Blood Donation – Who Can Donate Blood?

Anyone who:

1. is from 18 to 65 years old,
2. weighs more than 50 kg,
3. speaks Polish and carries an identity document (with a photo, address and PESEL number),
4. is not under the influence of intoxicants,
5. is healthy (body temperature measured under the armpit should not exceed 37 degrees Celsius),
6. passed a medical examination prior to blood sampling,

Donating blood – eating before and after donating blood

For him to donate blood on a given day, it is necessary to eat a light meal beforehand. In addition, it is equally important that we stay well hydrated. First of all, we should drink large amounts of still mineral water. Equally important is the issue of smoking and drinking alcohol – it is strictly forbidden to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol on the day of donating blood and on the day before donating blood. You should also remember to bring your blood refreshed and wear loose, airy clothes.

In turn, when we donate blood, we will receive the so-called a regenerative meal and usually it will be chocolate and sometimes additionally juice. When we come home, we should eat regular meals and remember that on the day of blood donation our diet should be much more than usual in carbohydrate-containing ingredients.

How often can you donate blood?

Whole blood may be donated for men no more than 6 times a year and no more than 4 times a year for women. However, you should remember about the break between consecutive downloads, which should be no less than two months. On the other hand, when it comes to the amount of blood taken during one procedure, in the case of a person weighing a minimum of 50 kg and more, the nurse takes one unit of blood, i.e. 450 ml.

However, it should be remembered that it is different when we donate whole blood, but plasma or a concentrate of red blood cells. If we are talking about plasma, thanks to the plasmapheresis method, it can be collected no more frequently than every two weeks. In the case of concentrated red blood cells, the erythroapheresis method can be collected not more frequently than every two months when collecting one unit of red blood cells and not more often than every six months when collecting two units of red blood cells at a time.

Donating blood – methods of donating blood

It should be mentioned that the blood donor may donate whole blood or only individual blood components. Depending on this, different methods of blood collection are used:

Conventional method – consists in donating about 450 ml of whole blood over a period of 5 to 8 minutes (equivalent to one blood unit to be transfused). It should be added that whole blood may be collected up to 6 times per year for men and 4 times for women. Donors must wait at least 8 weeks between donating blood. During this time, red blood cells are formed, mature and absorb the iron. The break allows the body to regenerate and return to normal all its important parameters.

Automatic plasmapheresis method – consists in donating only plasma (plasma) in the amount of 600 ml within about 40 minutes. In this method, the donor can donate up to 25 liters of plasma per year. As for the time between plasma donation, it must be at least 2 weeks.

Metoda trombaferezy – consists in donating only selected blood cell elements (250 ml of platelets over a period of about 60 minutes, at intervals of not less than 4 weeks). This method can be used up to 12 times a year, and the interval between the next treatment should be at least 4 weeks. It should also be mentioned that apheresis procedures (plasmapheresis and thrombapheresis) can be performed one month after donating whole blood.

Donating blood – advantages

Apart from the obvious advantages of donating blood, such as possibly contributing to saving someone’s life (blood is always waiting for the sick and injured in unfortunate accidents), there is something else related to donating blood.

It should be mentioned that by donating blood voluntarily and free of charge in an organizational unit of the public blood service, while registering in this place, we can receive the title of Honorary Blood Donor. Certain privileges come with this title:

1. release from work and study on the day of donating blood,
2. a regenerative meal in the form of 8 chocolates, with a total value of 4500 calories,
3. tax relief on donations, depending on the amount of donated blood,
4. reimbursement of travel costs by public transport to the nearest blood donation point,
5. free blood group identification card – available to every donor who donated blood twice,
6. obtaining test results free of charge (blood count, blood group, virological tests).

After donating the appropriate amount of blood (5 liters for women, and 6 liters for men), each Honorary Blood Donor can obtain the title of the so-called Honored Honorary Blood Donor. This title, in turn, authorizes you to:

1. receiving free medicines included on the list announced by the Minister of Health (in the case of insured persons),
2. using health care services and pharmacies without queuing.

Donating blood – side effects

Blood is donated at a time in an amount of 450 ml and this does not pose any threat to the health of an average adult and healthy personwhose body weight is not less than 50 kg. It should be added that the risk associated with it is eliminated by completing the questionnaire by the donor and passing through the qualifying medical examination.

It is also often said that donating blood can be addictive, but this is not true. In addition, it must be said that donating blood does not lead to any medical conditionsassuming that the donor complies with the doctor’s instructions and maintains strict intervals between subsequent blood donations.

You also don’t have to worry about getting infected by donating blood. It should be said that blood is collected in disposable and sterile plastic containers with the use of disposable sterile equipment (e.g. needles, syringes, lancets, etc.). In addition, the personnel collecting blood work in disposable protective gloves, and the injection sites are each time disinfected with specialized preparations. The materials that have been used up and the equipment used end up in special disposable containers for medical waste, which are then completely disposed of.

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to astrology. Is astrology really a forecast of the future? What is it and how can it help us in everyday life? What is the chart and why is it worth analyzing with an astrologer? You will hear about this and many other topics related to astrology in the new episode of our podcast.