46 Bloody Facts

46 Bloody Facts

1. One pint of blood can save up to three lives.

2. Someone needs blood every two seconds.

3. Only 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood but less than 10 percent donateannually.

4. There is no substitute for human blood.

5. You cannot get AIDS or any other infectious disease by donating blood.

6. Healthy adults who are 16 years old and weigh at least 120 pounds may donate one pint of whole blood  the most common form of donation – every 56 days.

7. One unit of whole blood is roughly the equivalent of one pint.

8. About 1 in 7 people entering a hospital need blood.

9. Females receive 53 percent of blood transfusions; males receive 47 percent.

10. One unit of blood can be separated into several components: red blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate.

11. Fourteen tests (11 for infectious diseases) are performed on each unit of donated blood.

12. The first authentic transfusion was recorded in England in 1665 on a dog and was kept alive by transfusions.

13. Fenwal, approved after 15 years of trials by the Food and Drug Administration in 1963.  The actual bag was invented by Professor Carl W. Walther (who later became the “wal” in Fenwal).  The new bag overcame the objections that it “looked and felt like a liver” as well as passed the FDA requirement that it could be dropped onto asphalt from 200 feet without breaking, that it must not splatter when tossed across an operating room or when stepped on, that it must not leak when vented, be reuseable in an emergency and that used bags must not explode when incinerated.

14. The first “modern” transfusion was performed by James Blundell, an English obstetrician, in 1818.

15. Barbers became known as professional blood letters in the Middle Ages when bloodletting was a popular cure for many ills. Red and white barber poles symbolize the practice of hanging bloodstained bandages outside of their shops.

16. Doctors used leeches to remove blood (which supposedly removed demons, which were thought to be the cause of illness). Soon their patients started referring to physicians as “leeches.”

17. Not until 1900 did Karl Landsteiner identify the 4 basic blood types, and subsequently, the success of blood transfusions was significantly increased when patients were transfused with their same type.

18. Bloody Mary (Mary I or Mary Tudor) was the nickname of the Queen of England and Ireland who reigned from 1553-1558 (a cocktail is also named after her).

19. Blood makes up about 7% of your body's weight.

20. A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his or her body.

21. Blood fights against infection and helps heal wounds, keeping you healthy.

22. There are four main blood types: A, B, AB and O. AB is the universal recipient and O negative is the universal donor.

23. Blood centers often run short of type O and B blood.

24. Shortages of all types of blood occur during the summer and winter holidays.

25. If you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood.

26. About three gallons of blood supports the entire nation's blood needs for one minute.

27. Blood donation takes four steps: medical history, quick physical, donation, and snacks.

28. The actual blood donation usually takes less than 10 minutes. The entire process, from when you sign in to the time you leave, takes about 45 minutes.

29. Giving blood will not decrease your strength.

30. Fourteen tests, 11 of which are for infectious diseases, are performed on each unit of donated blood.

31. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body’s organs and tissue.

32. One unit of blood can be separated into several components (red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate).

33. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body’s organs and tissue.

34. There are about one billion red blood cells in two to three drops of blood.

35. Red blood cells live about 120 days in the circulatory system.

36. Platelets help blood to clot and give those with leukemia and other cancers a chance to live.  Apheresis (ay-fur-ee-sis) is a special kind of blood donation that allows a donor to give specific blood components, such as platelets.

37. Donated red blood cells must be used within 42 days of collection.

38. Donated platelets must be used within five days of collection.

39. Plasma can be frozen and used for up to a year.

40. Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, proteins and salts.

41. Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets.

42. In the days following the September 11 attacks, a half a million people donated blood.

43. After donating blood, you replace these red blood cells within 3 to 4 weeks. It takes eight weeks to restore the iron lost after donating.

44. White cells are the body's primary defense against infection.

45. Since a pint is pound, you lose a pound every time you donate blood.

46. Anyone who is in good health, is at least 17 years old, and weighs at least 110 pounds may donateblood every 56 days.