Blood is the river of life. It provides nutrients to every cell in our bodies, replenishes oxygen and removes carbon dioxide, carries away metabolic waste, works to clot cuts and wounds to prevent bleeding and recognizes and defends against foreign substances in our bodies.
Most importantly, when you lose blood and need more, it can only come from a human donor.
When you’re considering whether or not you should roll up your sleeve, think about the variety of uses your single whole blood donation can provide. Carter Blood Care is the largest collection and distribution blood center. Carter provides hospitals with whole blood and blood components when they’re needed.
Putting Blood Donations to Good Use
When stored correctly, whole blood can be transfused for 21 days after a donation is collected.
Red blood cells can be used for 42 days after donation. They are used in the treatment of accident victims, to replace blood lost during surgery, to treat burn victims and to increase the blood’s oxygen-carrying capability.
Platelets, another component of your blood, is stored separately and can be used for 5 days. Platelets treat bone marrow failure, leukemia and cancer patients, as well as a variety of other diseases.
Blood plasma is the pale yellow liquid component of your blood that helps hold it together. Plasma can be frozen and stored for long periods of time. It is used during cardiac surgery, to treat burn patients and to treat bleeding disorders.
Albumin makes up 60% of the protein in plasma and is produced by the liver. It is used when blood volume needs to be increased and other fluids have not worked. This is common in cases of severe bleeding, liver failure and severe burns.
As you can see, a single donation goes a long way. In fact, three lives are saved by one pint of donated blood.
We’ve complied these facts into a fun infographic for you to share with your colleagues, friends and family.
Inspired to donate? We invite you to join our blood donation drives on Friday July 31st at our Preston Hollow and Park Cities locations.
