Who benefits from blood donations?
Several patients are in need of blood products, from a newborn, to a teen battling cancer, to a trauma victim. A cancer patient can use up to 8 units/month, bone marrow transplant patients up to 2 units/day, liver transplants require up to 100 units, cardiovascular surgery 2-25 units. Blood Facts: – 4.5 million American lives are saved each year by blood transfusions. – 38,000 pints of donated blood are used each day in the United States. – someone needs blood every two seconds. – 60 percent of the population in the United States are eligible to donate blood, but only 5 percent do. Donor qualifications: – Any person 17 years or older can donate blood. – Those that are 16 years old can donate blood if written permission is given by their parent or guardian. – A person must weigh more than 110 lbs. – There must be 8 weeks between blood donations. – Allergy-acceptable if no acute symptoms on the day of donation. – Antibiotics are acceptable after the last dose. – Asthma is acceptable if u
