How to Give an Emergency Blood Donation

Unfortunately, there are many times when we are called upon to make or give emergency blood donations. We may hear reports on the news following a tragedy that has occurred and requests being made for blood donations. Use the following guidelines to help you know what to do when it is time to give for an emergency blood donation.

Instructions

• 1

  Contact the blood bank in your area. In larger cities, there are probably several blood centers or blood banks. In a rural community or smaller town, you may have to contact the largest hospital in your area and ask for directions on where to go to start your process of the blood donation.

• 2

  Be ready for the process that will occur when you go to donate blood. You will have to answer quite a few questions about your identity, date of birth, social security and blood donations in the past. You will have your temperature taken, your blood pressure checked and your blood will be tested to be sure that you are able to donate or rather that you have enough red blood cells to donate without causing a health issue to yourself. They'll ask about your lifestyle, health issues, surgeries, smoker or not and even religious preference.

• 3

  Go to the facility to start the donation process. After signing a consent form, they will start the donation process. You'll be in a comfortable setting or slightly reclining. The technician will clean the area to sanitize on your arm just around the joint of the elbow where the vein is. The sterile disposable needle will be inserted and the appropriate tubing will be attached to start the pumping process into the blood bag. You will only have to squeeze a rubber ball or make a fist on and off to keep the blood pumping. They'll have you rest for a few minutes, probably have a cup of juice and you're ready to go.

• 4

  Take into consideration that tests are made on your blood after it is donated to further screen and process it. This process takes time so, it is important for donors to understand that the blood that they are donating in an emergency situation is usually used to replace the blood being depleted out of the blood banks due to the emergency.

• 5

  Make special donations and arrangements for family emergency donations. There are times when a family member is in an accident or a surgery has complications and emergency donations are needed. These donations can be made and transferred if the donor has the same blood type or the needed blood type. The same procedures as above are administered with the exception of the blood being immediately transferred to the patient. Some hospitals and insurance companies have arrangements where the donated blood replacements discount the cost to the patient for the blood being used from the blood banks, as receiving units of blood can be very expensive.

• 6

  Calls are sometimes made to previous blood donors in the event of an emergency where the blood bank or hospital has their blood type on file and there is a critical situation where a specific blood type is needed. Each situation would be evaluated individually, but most of the same procedures described above would take place.