Blood Drive, go donate some blood!!
04-30-2008, 05:17 PM
#1
Bad Mojo
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Blood Drive, go donate some blood!!
Back in November, I found out my wifes father had cancer. Its a pretty late stages of cancer, and they had to do Chemotherapy. Well one of the side effects happens to be platelets.
Anyhow, as a result I now donate blood as often as I can and would like to encourage others to do the same, Giving blood can really help save a life.
A few link for you if your interested.
http://www.redcross.org/donate/give/
https://www.givelife.org
Anyhow, as a result I now donate blood as often as I can and would like to encourage others to do the same, Giving blood can really help save a life.
A few link for you if your interested.
http://www.redcross.org/donate/give/
https://www.givelife.org
05-01-2008, 06:55 AM
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Originally Posted by GodZilla
Back in November, I found out my wifes father had cancer. Its a pretty late stages of cancer, and they had to do Chemotherapy. Well one of the side effects happens to be platelets.
Anyhow, as a result I now donate blood as often as I can and would like to encourage others to do the same, Giving blood can really help save a life.
A few link for you if your interested.
http://www.redcross.org/donate/give/
https://www.givelife.org
Anyhow, as a result I now donate blood as often as I can and would like to encourage others to do the same, Giving blood can really help save a life.
A few link for you if your interested.
http://www.redcross.org/donate/give/
https://www.givelife.org
05-01-2008, 12:19 PM
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Originally Posted by gsingh350Z
I do it often. The big white bus comes to my church often. And they will give you cookies and orange juice.
I even got a givelife.org t-shirt.
I even got a givelife.org t-shirt.
05-01-2008, 02:59 PM
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yea, same here...i work for Kaiser Permanente and they have the blood drive at our facility every 3 months. i give everytime they are here.
i got a jacket with my name on it
i got a jacket with my name on it
05-01-2008, 05:30 PM
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I'm gonna make some calls about setting up a "Z/G Blood Drive" in the DFW Metroplex. Not sure how it'll workout, need some time to sort the details. I'll post a thread when I get it together, maybe I can get it broadcasted on some local radio stations!!!
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05-02-2008, 12:45 AM
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Originally Posted by NISMO 1071
I'm gonna make some calls about setting up a "Z/G Blood Drive" in the DFW Metroplex. Not sure how it'll workout, need some time to sort the details. I'll post a thread when I get it together, maybe I can get it broadcasted on some local radio stations!!!
05-02-2008, 02:13 PM
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Originally Posted by NISMO 1071
I'm gonna make some calls about setting up a "Z/G Blood Drive" in the DFW Metroplex. Not sure how it'll workout, need some time to sort the details. I'll post a thread when I get it together, maybe I can get it broadcasted on some local radio stations!!!
05-02-2008, 05:29 PM
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I want to add some info to this thread. The blood type compatibility for plasma products (like fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelet concentrate) is the opposite of red blood cell (RBC) compatibility.
Here is how it works. Your RBC have antigens on the surface. There are 2 antigens, A and B. If you have none, your type is O, if you have both, you are AB. A and B are self-explanatory at this point. For every antigen that you don't have on your RBC, you have an antibody in your plasma.
For example, a type O person would have no antigens on the red cell surface, but antibodies to both A and B antigens (anti-A and anti-B) in the plasma. Someone of AB group would have both A and B antigens on the RBC surface, but no ABO antibodies in plasma. A and B donors should be obvious at this point. A-type person has A antigens and anti-B antibodies, the B-type is the opposite.
When transfusing human blood products, the rule #1 in to never let same antigen and antibody end up inside of a same patient. Anti-A reacts with A antigen, same with anti-B and B. These reactions can have a catastrophic effect on the patient, especially with RBC incompatibility.
This is why type O is the universal donor for RBC. The type O cells have no antigens reactive with neither anti-A, nor anti-B and therefore could be given to anyone. With plasma it is quite the opposite. The O-plasma has both anti-A and anti-B, so only an O patient would be able to take it. The universal donor for plasma is of AB blood type.
Now, what am I driving at with all this...
Someone of a blood group B would only be able to accept type B or type AB platelets or plasma. These also happen to be the rarer blood groups, the majority of population (75-80%) is either A or O. Someone of AB blood group is even worse, b/c they should be getting AB plasma products and less the 5% of population are of AB blood group.
If you combine it with the fact that platelet units have a shelf life of 5-7 days and 3 of which they spend quarantined, while all the testing is carried out, one can see how it would be the blood product, the supply of which would suffer first in the event of a shortage. Late spring and through the summer is the season when donor turnup rate is lower then usual with so many people being on vacation.
So, if you are of the groups B or AB, please donate plasma products whenever possible, instead of whole blood. The patients of such groups can recieve O blood (close to 40% of population), but if they need plasma or platelets, they can only turn to you for help. I hope that the expanation that I have presented in clear enough why.
PS. The Rh system concerns an entirely different group of antigens, that are only present on the RBC, usualy do not exhibit antibodies in plasma and therefore are irrelevant to this b/c this description is mostly about platelet and plasma products.
Here is how it works. Your RBC have antigens on the surface. There are 2 antigens, A and B. If you have none, your type is O, if you have both, you are AB. A and B are self-explanatory at this point. For every antigen that you don't have on your RBC, you have an antibody in your plasma.
For example, a type O person would have no antigens on the red cell surface, but antibodies to both A and B antigens (anti-A and anti-B) in the plasma. Someone of AB group would have both A and B antigens on the RBC surface, but no ABO antibodies in plasma. A and B donors should be obvious at this point. A-type person has A antigens and anti-B antibodies, the B-type is the opposite.
When transfusing human blood products, the rule #1 in to never let same antigen and antibody end up inside of a same patient. Anti-A reacts with A antigen, same with anti-B and B. These reactions can have a catastrophic effect on the patient, especially with RBC incompatibility.
This is why type O is the universal donor for RBC. The type O cells have no antigens reactive with neither anti-A, nor anti-B and therefore could be given to anyone. With plasma it is quite the opposite. The O-plasma has both anti-A and anti-B, so only an O patient would be able to take it. The universal donor for plasma is of AB blood type.
Now, what am I driving at with all this...
Someone of a blood group B would only be able to accept type B or type AB platelets or plasma. These also happen to be the rarer blood groups, the majority of population (75-80%) is either A or O. Someone of AB blood group is even worse, b/c they should be getting AB plasma products and less the 5% of population are of AB blood group.
If you combine it with the fact that platelet units have a shelf life of 5-7 days and 3 of which they spend quarantined, while all the testing is carried out, one can see how it would be the blood product, the supply of which would suffer first in the event of a shortage. Late spring and through the summer is the season when donor turnup rate is lower then usual with so many people being on vacation.
So, if you are of the groups B or AB, please donate plasma products whenever possible, instead of whole blood. The patients of such groups can recieve O blood (close to 40% of population), but if they need plasma or platelets, they can only turn to you for help. I hope that the expanation that I have presented in clear enough why.
PS. The Rh system concerns an entirely different group of antigens, that are only present on the RBC, usualy do not exhibit antibodies in plasma and therefore are irrelevant to this b/c this description is mostly about platelet and plasma products.
Last edited by Oleg; 05-02-2008 at 05:35 PM.
05-04-2008, 08:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Oleg
I want to add some info to this thread. The blood type compatibility for plasma products (like fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelet concentrate) is the opposite of red blood cell (RBC) compatibility.
Here is how it works. Your RBC have antigens on the surface. There are 2 antigens, A and B. If you have none, your type is O, if you have both, you are AB. A and B are self-explanatory at this point. For every antigen that you don't have on your RBC, you have an antibody in your plasma.
For example, a type O person would have no antigens on the red cell surface, but antibodies to both A and B antigens (anti-A and anti-B) in the plasma. Someone of AB group would have both A and B antigens on the RBC surface, but no ABO antibodies in plasma. A and B donors should be obvious at this point. A-type person has A antigens and anti-B antibodies, the B-type is the opposite.
When transfusing human blood products, the rule #1 in to never let same antigen and antibody end up inside of a same patient. Anti-A reacts with A antigen, same with anti-B and B. These reactions can have a catastrophic effect on the patient, especially with RBC incompatibility.
This is why type O is the universal donor for RBC. The type O cells have no antigens reactive with neither anti-A, nor anti-B and therefore could be given to anyone. With plasma it is quite the opposite. The O-plasma has both anti-A and anti-B, so only an O patient would be able to take it. The universal donor for plasma is of AB blood type.
Now, what am I driving at with all this...
Someone of a blood group B would only be able to accept type B or type AB platelets or plasma. These also happen to be the rarer blood groups, the majority of population (75-80%) is either A or O. Someone of AB blood group is even worse, b/c they should be getting AB plasma products and less the 5% of population are of AB blood group.
If you combine it with the fact that platelet units have a shelf life of 5-7 days and 3 of which they spend quarantined, while all the testing is carried out, one can see how it would be the blood product, the supply of which would suffer first in the event of a shortage. Late spring and through the summer is the season when donor turnup rate is lower then usual with so many people being on vacation.
So, if you are of the groups B or AB, please donate plasma products whenever possible, instead of whole blood. The patients of such groups can recieve O blood (close to 40% of population), but if they need plasma or platelets, they can only turn to you for help. I hope that the expanation that I have presented in clear enough why.
PS. The Rh system concerns an entirely different group of antigens, that are only present on the RBC, usualy do not exhibit antibodies in plasma and therefore are irrelevant to this b/c this description is mostly about platelet and plasma products.
Here is how it works. Your RBC have antigens on the surface. There are 2 antigens, A and B. If you have none, your type is O, if you have both, you are AB. A and B are self-explanatory at this point. For every antigen that you don't have on your RBC, you have an antibody in your plasma.
For example, a type O person would have no antigens on the red cell surface, but antibodies to both A and B antigens (anti-A and anti-B) in the plasma. Someone of AB group would have both A and B antigens on the RBC surface, but no ABO antibodies in plasma. A and B donors should be obvious at this point. A-type person has A antigens and anti-B antibodies, the B-type is the opposite.
When transfusing human blood products, the rule #1 in to never let same antigen and antibody end up inside of a same patient. Anti-A reacts with A antigen, same with anti-B and B. These reactions can have a catastrophic effect on the patient, especially with RBC incompatibility.
This is why type O is the universal donor for RBC. The type O cells have no antigens reactive with neither anti-A, nor anti-B and therefore could be given to anyone. With plasma it is quite the opposite. The O-plasma has both anti-A and anti-B, so only an O patient would be able to take it. The universal donor for plasma is of AB blood type.
Now, what am I driving at with all this...
Someone of a blood group B would only be able to accept type B or type AB platelets or plasma. These also happen to be the rarer blood groups, the majority of population (75-80%) is either A or O. Someone of AB blood group is even worse, b/c they should be getting AB plasma products and less the 5% of population are of AB blood group.
If you combine it with the fact that platelet units have a shelf life of 5-7 days and 3 of which they spend quarantined, while all the testing is carried out, one can see how it would be the blood product, the supply of which would suffer first in the event of a shortage. Late spring and through the summer is the season when donor turnup rate is lower then usual with so many people being on vacation.
So, if you are of the groups B or AB, please donate plasma products whenever possible, instead of whole blood. The patients of such groups can recieve O blood (close to 40% of population), but if they need plasma or platelets, they can only turn to you for help. I hope that the expanation that I have presented in clear enough why.
PS. The Rh system concerns an entirely different group of antigens, that are only present on the RBC, usualy do not exhibit antibodies in plasma and therefore are irrelevant to this b/c this description is mostly about platelet and plasma products.
05-06-2008, 09:00 AM
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im glad this topic has come up and not necessarily under these circumstances but guys another thing is not just donating blood please put yourself as well in the marrow bone donors list, its easy just swab ur gums and ur set, my uncle has leukemia and i immediately went ahead and made myself a donor not because i didnt want to but because i wasnt aware that it even existed or that i can easily safe someones life just because im compatible, please put urself on the list u dont know when you can be compatible to safe someones life. my uncle is 28 and has 2 kids 1 is 1yr old and the other will be born this month hopefully he has been getting chemo for fast 7 months and just got the marrow bone transplant 1 week ago thankfully we found someone to be a close match and with leukemia just like all cancers there is a possibility of it returning and having more people to cross-reference for close matches does help lifes. thanks fellas.
05-06-2008, 09:12 AM
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Always a great idea to donate blood, I donate as often as possible & hope the other memebers here would consider doing the same. Godzilla I am sorry to hear about your father's health, be strong this is time for the family. If your father should pass remember to continue donating blood, please.
05-06-2008, 11:14 AM
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Originally Posted by geoff567
Sounds like you work for a plasma pharmaceutical company or the Red Cross.
I knew that many regular donors will be viewing this thread, so I thought it would provide an interesting read for them. This way they can find out a bit as to what happens to their blood once they leave the donor room.
05-08-2008, 10:55 AM
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Kyle,
Sorry to hear about your father-in-law. Hope his health is improving.
Oleg, thanks for the info. I'm B-, so apparently it's very important for me to be donating plasma products whenever possible. They come to my church 3x/year, so I will be doing that from now on.
Darren
Sorry to hear about your father-in-law. Hope his health is improving.
Oleg, thanks for the info. I'm B-, so apparently it's very important for me to be donating plasma products whenever possible. They come to my church 3x/year, so I will be doing that from now on.
Darren
05-08-2008, 01:31 PM
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Originally Posted by INTENSEPOWER
I'm B-, so apparently it's very important for me to be donating plasma products whenever possible. They come to my church 3x/year, so I will be doing that from now on.
Darren
Darren
The only disadvantage to it is that you get 2 needles instead of one. One to take blood out, one to put it back in. So this procedure ties up both your arms, so dress comfortably. You will not be able to adjust anything for nearly 40 minutes.
Anyway, when you donate whole blood, which is usually the only type of donation available at mobile blood drives, they usually take out a pint of whole blood, that yeilds 1 unit of Red Blood Cells, 1 unit of Fresh Frozen Plasma and sometimes 1 unit of Random Donor Platelets, or RDP (about 50ml). A theraputic dose of these is 6 units, which have to be pooled in a single bag prior to transfusion. This is a less desireable blood product b/c the patient gets exposed to blood of 6 people at once. Also, they contain a trace amount of red blood cells. This may cause issues with RBC incompatibility. The chances of it are slim, and I have never seen it happen in my experience, but with transfusing blood, you cannot be too careful. Also, it is not leukocyte-free and in immunocompromised patients it may require a special filter, which will decrease the effectiveness of transfusion even further.
Most hospitals, including the ones I work at, have switched away from them in favor of the platelet product I will be discussing next. As a matter of fact, I am not even sure that random donor platelets are in use at all, I haven't seen any of them in nearly 2 and a half years.
The most commonly used platelet product now is Single Donor Platelet concentrate (SDP). It is collected through the pheresis procedure I mentioned above. It contains an equivalent of 6-8 units of the RDP. Also, it is free of leukocyes and RBC. On top of everything, it exposes the patient to only 1 donor, as opposed to several. So either way you look at it, it is just a better product.
The pheresis machines are bulky and cumbersome, so I am not sure if mobile blood drives use them. We have a permanent donor center at where I work, that's where our blood drives take place. If I were in your shoes, I'd inquire about local pheresis centers and proceed from there. The best thing is, that you recover much quicker from the plasma/platelet donation as opposed to an RBC donation. You can donate them more frequently then RBC too.
