Before donated blood can be given to a hospital patient it must first undergo a series of tests to prevent transfer of diseases. If the blood is found to carry a disease then it is discarded and the donor is notified of the findings. Once the blood has passed the screening, it can be used in hospitals to help those in need.
WHO Screening Procedures for Blood Donors
The World Health Organization (WHO) currently screens donated blood for four major diseases. These include hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, and syphilis. If the donated blood tests positive for any of these diseases, it is discarded. Donors will receive an examination before giving blood. The examination will consist of taking your temperature, blood pressure and pulse reading, as well as a blood count.
Additional testing may be conducted based on the region where you, the blood donor, live. These tests can screen for West Nile virus and other diseases or viruses that may be prevalent in the area.
The additional tests, however, can be costly and are not always administered by donation centers. Some donation centers do not receive enough funding to provide extensive tests and screening.
General Guidlines for Blood Donation
The American Red Cross requires its donors to weigh at least 110 lbs. and be 17 years or older. (Some states allow donors to give blood at 16 years.) Also donors can only give blood once every eight weeks. Students under the age of 19 also have to meet a height and weight requirement for the American Red Cross.
In addition to these guidelines other factors can prevent you from donating blood. These factors include pregnancy, if you have been treated for an sexually-transmitted disease within the past 12 months, if you have sickle cell disease, if you have gotten a tattoo in the past 12 months, or if you have traveled to a region where malaria is prevalent.
Further guidelines note special requirements for people having traveled outside of the United States; check the Red Cross website for more information.
Tags: donated blood, American Cross, Blood Donors, donation centers, give blood
