c5-BLOOD DONATIONS.docx

BLOOD DONATIONS =============== Blood donations are another type of special collection that phlebotomists perform. Blood donations can be collected for submission to a blood bank for use as needed by hospitals and other facilities. In some situations, patients donate their own blood to use for a tr...

BLOOD DONATIONS =============== Blood donations are another type of special collection that phlebotomists perform. Blood donations can be collected for submission to a blood bank for use as needed by hospitals and other facilities. In some situations, patients donate their own blood to use for a transfusion or upcoming surgery. This type of blood donation is an autologous transfusion. Most of the blood used in blood donations is handled in blood banks. These facilities are responsible for the collection, processing, and storing of blood for transfusions and other purposes. The blood bank department in a hospital is usually part of the laboratory. It serves as the screening and release point for donor units and other blood products that patients might need. Blood bank departments work closely with regional blood centers that provide blood and blood products to hospitals for dispensing to patients upon provider request. In larger facilities, the hospital blood bank might draw donor units; but increasingly, these duties reside in the regional blood centers that serve a community or region. Blood banks can also perform therapeutic phlebotomy, which is the intentional removal of blood to lower red blood cells (polycythemia vera) or lower iron levels (hemochromatosis). How facilities assign this procedure varies by organization. As with any blood collection, it is critical to avoid misidentification of the patient during blood bank collections in order to prevent fatal transfusion errors. The collection process is as follows: 1. Wash hands and don gloves. 2. Properly identify the patient as you would with any blood collection, using at least two patient identifiers. 3. Perform the venipuncture procedure and collect the appropriate tubes. This is often a plain red-top tube and an EDTA tube. (Some ETS tube stoppers are pink. Confirm additive on the label before use.) 4. Label the specimens with specific blood bank labels in the presence of the patient. (Follow the procedure required by the laboratory.) 5. Recheck information by comparing the labels on the tubes with the patient armband or specific blood bank identification band. 6. Perform post-venipuncture patient care. 7. Deliver the specimens and blood bank requisition to the blood bank or the facility\'s transfusion service as soon as possible. 8. Gravity helps fill the blood collection bags. Make sure bags are hung lower than the patient\'s arm during collection. If a blood collection bag only fills partially before the procedure is complete, the blood collection might have to begin again. Do not combine two bags. Monitor the patient during and after the procedure to keep them safe and prevent injury from any complications during the donation process. Collecting donor blood ---------------------- Donated blood can be processed into various blood products (red blood cells, plasma, platelets). Apheresis techniques allow the removal of one or more blood products during blood collection via special equipment. Plasmapheresis is the removal of blood plasma from whole blood. Some parameters for blood donation have been established to help keep the donor as safe and healthy as. possible. General requirements for blood donation include the following. - Age at least 17 years old (16 years old in some states with parental permission) - Weight at least 110 pounds - Donations at least 56 days apart When apheresis will be performed, the requirements change slightly. - **For males** donating via apheresis, the following criteria are recommended. - Age 17 or older - Weight 130 pounds or greater - Height 61 inches or greater - **For females** wishing to donate via apheresis, the following criteria are recommended. - Age 17 or older - Weight 150 or greater - Height 65 inches or greater It is important that each donor is healthy and feeling well. A complete medical history must be provided. A mini physical examination is done, including temperature, pulse, and blood pressure. The potential donor\'s hemoglobin (or hematocrit) levels are also measured. The blood specimen is tested for HIV, AIDS, and hepatitis. If any of these levels are out of range, the person will not be allowed to donate blood. The medical history includes questions about sexual activity, recent out-of-country travel, and use of medications. Autologous blood donation ------------------------- Autologous refers to self. Many individuals donate blood for their own future use. This type of donation has become popular due to increased concern of the transmission of bloodborne pathogens. When a patient donates blood before a surgical procedure, they must have a written order from a provider and must be in good health, so the donation does not stress their body before surgery. The hemoglobin must be at least 11 g/dL, and the surgical procedure must be scheduled for more than 72 hr. after the autologous blood donation. Autologous blood is collected in the same manner as donor blood collection but is labeled strictly for the donor\'s use and may not cross over to the general blood supply. If the blood is not used during surgery, the patient may have the blood transfused back after any procedure is performed.