FAQs

How can I ensure a pleasant donation experience?

You'll want a good night's sleep the night before, and a good breakfast or lunch before your donation. Drink fluids like juice, milk, or soda ahead of time. Take your normal medications as prescribed. During your donation, relax. After your donation, have some juice and cookies. Then you can go about your daily activities, but avoid heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for the remainder of the day.

 

Does the donor suffer from any harmful effects after donating blood donation?

 Absolutely not, rather a donor after having given blood voluntarily gets a feeling of great pleasure, peace and bliss. Soon, within a period of 24 - 48 hours, the same amount of new blood gets formed in the body, which helps the donor in many ways. His own body resistance improves, the circulation improves, and he himself feels healthier than before.

 

What special diet should a donor follow after giving blood?

After resting for a while a donor is given some liquid (fluid) to take. It may be a cup of coffee or milk or fruit juice alongwith a few biscuits or fruit. The donor needs no other special diet. A routine balanced diet is adequate. The donor's blood gets replenished within 24 - 48 hours.

 

How long will it take for the body to replenish the blood?

The body replaces blood volume or plasma within 24 hours. Red cells need about four to eight weeks for complete replacement.

 

How frequently a donor can donate blood?

Three months time between donations is a very safe interval.

 

How long can blood be stored?

Whole blood can be stored up to 35 days, when kept in CPDA anti coagulant solution and refrigerated at 2-4 deg C. But the demand is so great that blood hardly ever remains in storage for so long and is used much before expiry. The various blood components can be stored as under.

  • Platelet Concentrate - 5 days
  • Platelet Apherises – 5 days
  • Platelet Rich Plasma - 5 days
  • Packed Cells – 42 days
  • Fresh Frozen Plasma - 1 year
  • Cryo Anti Hemophilic Factor – 1 year

Do you test all the collected blood?

 Yes. ALL the blood in the blood bank is tested for following, using the latest technology:

  • Hepatitis B & C
  • Malarial parasite
  • HIV I & II (AIDS)
  • Venereal disease (Syphilis)
  • Blood Group
  • Before issuing blood, compatibility tests (cross matching) is done.

 

What are the advantages of Single donor Platelets (SDP) over Random donor PLatelets (RDP).

The advantages of SDP include:

1. Reduces the chances of allo-immunisation.

2. Provides adequate dose of platelets.

3. Decreases the chances of Platelet Refractoriness.