Blood Banking and Donation
Blood banking refers to the process of collecting, separating, and storing blood. The first U.S. blood blank was established in 1936. Today, blood banks collect blood and separate it into its various components so they can be used most effectively according to the needs of the patient. Red blood cells carry oxygen, platelets help the blood clot, and plasma has specific proteins that allow proper regulation of coagulation and healing. Although research has yielded drugs that help people’s bone marrow produce new blood cells more rapidly, the body’s response time can still take weeks, thus donated blood remains an important and more immediate life-saving resource.
Blood is the vital connection to having a healthy body, and according to the American Red Cross, nearly 5 million people receive blood transfusions each year. To give blood, locate the blood center nearest you through:
Platelet Donation
Platelets can be depleted as a result of certain diseases, medications, or surgery. Burn victims, organ and bone marrow transplant patients, those undergoing chemotherapy, and those who have undergone heart surgery often require platelet transfusions. During donation, platelets are separated from the other blood components (plasma, red and white blood cells). The rest of the blood is then returned to the donor’s body.
Almost anyone who is able to donate blood is also eligible for platelet donation.
Bone Marrow Donation
Bone marrow produces the body's blood cells, and when it does not produce enough or when the cells it produces are in some way defective, a bone marrow transplant may be required. A bone marrow transplant is used to help treat a variety of disorders, including leukemias, lymphomas, bone marrow failure, and various immune disorders.
Marrow can be extracted from a patient and stored for transplantation back into that same patient at a later time. Oftentimes, however, the patient is unable to produce enough healthy marrow for such use. In these cases, marrow that matches the patient’s can be donated by a family member or unrelated donor.
Becoming a donor involves a simple genetic test to determine the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) profile. This is done through a cheek swab or a blood sample. The HLA profile of the donor is then compared to the patient's to see if the two match.
Because finding a matched donor can often be a challenge, potential donors are encouraged to register with the National Marrow Donor Program Registry, which stores information on the donor’s HLA profile and matches it with the HLA types of patients nationwide. If a possible match is found, the registrant is contacted for further testing and health screening. To learn more about donating bone marrow, please visit the National Marrow Donor Program Web site.