American Red Cross Blood Services considers you our partner in providing a safe and adequate blood supply for the patients who need it. As our partner, we are also concerned about your good health. This page outlines the donation process.
What to Expect When Donating Blood
Registration
You will first be asked for a form of identification each time you donate. You'll provide your name, date of birth and social security number.
Health History
A trained Red Cross staff member will then conduct a mini-physical examination checking your temperature, your blood pressure and pulse, and a drop of your blood to be sure you have enough red blood cells to donate safely. The staff member will also ask about your past and present health and lifestyle, and we will answer any questions you may have. This interview is private and confidential.
Most people who are 17 or older, and who weigh at least 110 pounds are eligible to donate blood, but depending on your answers, you may be deferred from donating, either temporarily or permanently.
If you are temporarily deferred from giving blood, please don't give up! We hope you will return to donate blood once your deferral period is over.
Donation
Before the donation, we will cleanse an area of the arm you will be using to donate. All of the supplies, including the needle, are sterile and are used only once - for you.
At the start of the donation, you may notice a brief "sting" from the needle, but then you'll rest comfortably. The donation usually takes about 10 minutes, and you will have given about a pint of blood when finished. Your body will replace the plasma (liquid part) in hours and the cells in a few weeks.
When you are finished, you will be given a form with post-donation instructions and a number to call if you decide after you leave that your blood may not be safe to give to another person.
Canteen
It's that easy. Before you head home, you'll relax for a few minutes in our refreshment area and enjoy a drink and some snacks.
Visit the Web site of the National American Red Cross to view an on-line presentation.
People seldom experience discomfort after donating. However, if you feel light-headed, lie down until the feeling passes. If some bleeding occurs after removal of the bandage, apply pressure to the site and raise your arm for three to five minutes. If bruising or bleeding appears under the skin, apply a cold pack periodically to the bruised area during the first 24 hours, then warm, moist heat intermittently.
If you have any questions concerning your donation or experience any unexpected problems, please call the American Red Cross at 570-524-0400
Why Five Percent Won't Do
Fewer than five percent of eligible blood donors donate blood. Their donations can be separated into red cells, plasma and platelets to help the greatest possible number of hospital patients. But five percent is not enough. Here's why:
Accidents - Many of the nearly 70,000 car, bus and truck accidents in Pennsylvania in 2006 (source: Penn DOT) resulted in trauma and treatment that required blood donations.
Cancer - Almost 74,000 Pennsylvanians were being treated for invasive cancer in 2006 (source: Pennsylvania Cancer Registry). Cancer treatment often requires the products of blood donation.
Surgery - 1,768,748 surgeries took place in Pennsylvania in 2006 - 2007 (source: PA Dept. of Health) and Pennsylvanians were among the 44 million people in America (2003, source: National Center for Health Statistics) who needed surgery. Their surgeries, including heart surgery, transplants, hysterectomies, tumor removal and many others, not counting cosmetic surgeries, often could not be possible without blood donors.
Burns - Pennsylvanians are among the 1.25 million burn victims every year (source: US Fire Admin.), including rising numbers of older adults and child injuries.
All of these numbers are rising. Sooner or later, someone you know could be among these people or the tens of thousands of others who fall ill for other reasons. One day it could be you. It's why five percent is not enough. So help. Donate blood. Make it a habit.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
for donating blood; when in doubt call us.
To give blood for transfusion to another person, you must be healthy, be at least 17 years old or 16 years old if allowed by state law. You must weigh at least 110 pounds, and not have donated whole blood in the last 8 weeks (56 days) or double red cells in the last 16 weeks (112 days). "Healthy" means that you feel well and can perform normal activities. If you have a chronic condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, "healthy" also means that you are being treated and the condition is under control.
Other aspects of each potential donor's health history are discussed as part of the donation process before any blood is collected. Each donor receives a brief examination during which temperature, pulse, blood pressure and blood count (hemoglobin or hematocrit) are measured.
Making donations for your own use during surgery (autologous blood donation) is considered a medical procedure that requires a written prescription and the rules for eligibility are less strict than for regular volunteer donations.
Allergy, Stuffy Nose, Itchy Eyes, Dry Cough
Acceptable as long as you feel well, have no fever, and have no problems breathing through your mouth.
Antibiotics
A donor with an acute infection should not donate. The reason for antibiotic use must be evaluated to determine if the donor has a bacterial infection that could be transmissible by blood.
Acceptable after finishing oral antibiotics for an infection (bacterial or viral). May have taken last pill on the date of donation. Antibiotic by injection for an infection acceptable 10 days after last injection. Acceptable if you are taking antibiotics to prevent an infection, for example, following dental procedures or for acne. Some conditions which require antibiotics to prevent an infection must still be evaluated at the time of donation by the responsible medical director. If you have a temperature above 99.5 F, you may not donate.
Asthma
Acceptable as long as you are not having difficulty breathing at the time of donation and you otherwise feel well. Medications for asthma do not disqualify you from donating.
Birth Control
Women taking birth control (pills or injections) are acceptable.
Blood Pressure, High
Acceptable as long as your blood pressure is below 180 systolic (first number) and below 100 diastolic (second number) at the time of donation. Medications for high blood pressure do not disqualify you from donating.
Blood Pressure, Low
Acceptable as long as you feel well when you come to donate. If your blood pressure normally runs low, it may be more difficult for your body to adjust to the volume loss following donation, especially if you are dehydrated. Drinking extra water before and after donation is important.
Cancer
Eligibility depends on the type of cancer and treatment history. If you had leukemia or lymphoma, including Hodgkin's Disease and other cancers of the blood, you are not eligible to donate. Other types of cancer are acceptable if the cancer has been treated successfully and it has been more than 12 months since treatment was completed and there has been no cancer recurrence in this time. Lower risk in-situ cancers including squamous or basal cell cancers of the skin that have been completely removed do not require a 12 month waiting period.
Precancerous conditions of the uterine cervix do not disqualify you from donation if the abnormality has been treated successfully. You should discuss your particular situation with the health historian at the time of donation.
| 
Here are the top 10 reasons folks just won't!