52 Facts About Blood Donation

1. More than 4.5 million people need blood transfusions each year in the U.S. and Canada.
2. 43,000 pints: amount of donated blood used each day in the U.S. and Canada.
3. Someone needs blood every two seconds.
4. 37% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood – less than 10% do annually**.
5. About 1 in 7 people entering a hospital need blood.
6. One pint of blood can save up to three lives.
7. Healthy people who are at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent), and at least 110 pounds may donate whole blood every 56 days. Females receive 53% of blood transfusions; males receive 47%.
8. 94% of blood donors are registered voters.
9. In 1901, Dr. Karl Landsteiner first identified the major human blood groups: A, B, AB and O.
10. People with O- blood are universal donors of red blood cells.
11. People with AB+ blood are universal recipients of red blood cells, and universal donors of plasma.
12. One unit of whole blood can be separated into several components, including red blood cells, plasma, and platelets.
13. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's organs and tissues, and live for about 120 days in the circulatory system.
14. Platelets promote blood clotting and give those with leukemia and other cancers a chance to live.
15. Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, proteins and salts.
16. Plasma, which is 90% water, makes up 55% of blood volume.
17. Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets.
18. Blood or plasma that comes from people who have been paid for it cannot be used for human transfusion.
19. Granulocytes, a type of white blood cell, roll along blood vessel walls in search of bacteria to engulf and destroy.
20. White cells are the body's primary defense against infection.
21. Apheresis is a special kind of blood donation that allows a donor to give specific blood components, such as platelets or red blood cells.
22. 42 days: how long most donated red blood cells can be stored.
23. Five days: how long most donated platelets can be stored.
24. One year: how long frozen plasma can be stored.
25. Much of today's medical care depends on a steady supply of blood from healthy donors.
26. 2.7 pints: the average whole blood and red blood cell transfusion.*
27. Children being treated for cancer, premature infants and children having heart surgery may receive blood and platelets during their treatments.
28. Anemic patients may need blood transfusions to increase their red blood cell levels.
29. Cancer, transplant and trauma patients, and patients undergoing open-heart surgery may require platelet transfusions to survive.
30. Sickle cell disease is an inherited disease that affects more than 80,000 people in the U.S., 98% of whom are of African descent.
31. Many patients with severe sickle cell disease receive blood transfusions every month.
32. Over 10 tests are performed on each unit of donated blood.
33. 17% of non-donors cite "never thought about it" as the main reason for not giving blood, while 15% say they're too busy.
34. The #1 reason blood donors say they give is because they "want to help others."
35. Blood centers often run short of types O and B red blood cells.
36. There is no substitute for human blood.
37. If all blood donors gave three times a year, blood shortages would be a rare event (The current average is about two).
38. 46.5 gallons: amount of blood you could donate if you begin at age 17 and donate every 56 days until you are 79 years old.
39. There are four easy steps to donate blood: medical history, a quick physical, donation and snacks.
40. The actual blood donation takes less than 15 minutes. The entire process – from the time you sign in until the time you leave – usually takes under an hour.
41. After donating blood, you replace the fluid in hours and the red blood cells within four weeks. It takes eight weeks to restore the iron lost after donating.
42. You cannot get AIDS or any other infectious disease by donating blood.
43. 10 pints: the amount of blood in the body of an average adult.
44. One unit of whole blood is roughly the equivalent of one pint.
45. Blood makes up about 7% of your body's weight.
46. Newborn babies have about one cup of blood in their bodies.
47. Giving blood will not decrease your strength.
48. Any company, community organization, place of worship or individual may contact their local community blood center to host a blood drive.
49. Roughly half of all blood donations across the U.S. are collected at blood drives.
50. People who donate blood are volunteers and are not paid for their donation.
51. 500,000 Americans donated blood in the days following the events of September 11
52. Blood donation. It's about an hour of your time. It's About Life!