In preparation for our blood drive in support of Carter Blood Care, we’re sharing with you 45 Fascinating Blood Facts compiled by their team. Healthy adults who are at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent in Texas) and weigh at least 110 pound may donate whole blood every 56 days.
Uses for Blood Donations
- 4.5 million Americans are saved annually by transfusions.
- 32,000 pints of blood are used each day in the United States.
- 3 lives are saved by 1 pint of donated blood.
- Platelet transfusions are often needed for transplant surgeries.
- Pediatric cancer patients need blood and platelets from donors of all types.
- Much of today’s medical care depends on a steady supply of blood from healthy donors.
- Blood transfusions are needed by anemic patients to increase their iron levels.
- Severe burn victims can need 20 units of platelets during their treatment.
- 1 unit of blood is roughly the equivalent of 1 pint.
- Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets.
- Every 3 seconds someone needs blood in America.
- About 1 in 7 hospital patients needs blood.
- Patients with severe sickle cell disease may need blood transfusions every month.
- Females receive 53% of blood transfusions.
- 3 gallons of blood is used every minute in the U.S.
- Car accident victims can need transfusions of 50 pints or more of red blood cells.
- Males receive 47% of blood transfusions.
- A, B, AB and O are the four main types of blood. Centers often run short of types O and B blood.
- Each bone marrow transplant patient needs platelet donations from about 120 people.
- 2.7 pints is the average whole blood transfusion.
Bloods Role in Your Body
- 10 – 12 pints: amount of blood in the human body.
- Red blood cells live about 120 days in your body.
- Blood fights infection and helps heal wounds.
- The shelf life of donated red blood cells is 42 days.
- Blood makes up about 7% of your body’s weight.
- The shelf life of donated platelets is 5 days.
- Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body’s organs and tissues.
- There is no substitute for human blood.
- A newborn baby has about 1 cup of blood.
- The shelf life of frozen plasma is 1 year special info.
Blood Donation Process
- Blood donations are not paid.
- The #1 reason donors say they give is because they “want to help others.”
- 500,000 Americans donated blood in the days following the September 11 attacks.
- 14 tests, including 11 for infectious diseases, are performed on donated blood.
- The average blood donor gives about twice per year.
- Since a pint is a pound, you lose a pound every time you donate blood.
- One unit of blood can be separated into red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate.
- Giving blood will not decrease your strength.
- 37% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood.
- After donating blood, you replace lost red blood cells within four weeks.
- There are 4 steps to donating blood: medical history, quick physical, donation and snacks.
- Less than 10% of eligible blood donors donate annually.
- 17% of people who do not donate blood say they “hadn’t thought about it.”
- Apheresis is a special kind of blood donation that allows a donor to give specific blood components.
