Various Types of Blood Donations at the American Red Cross

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion. Whether for routine surgery, cancer treatment, or a traumatic injury, patients rely on the generosity of blood donors for their health and safety. Just one car accident victim, for example, may need as many as 100 units of blood.

The American Red Cross provides more than 40 percent of the country’s blood and blood components, collecting most of its blood on blood drives, where more than 6.8 million people donate annually. Still, only 3 percent of age-eligible people donate. The need for blood is constant because blood must be used within 42 days of collection and platelets within five days.

Donors can contribute based on their blood type and the community’s need. Whole blood donation, the most versatile type of blood donation, takes about an hour and is appropriate for donors of all blood types. In some cases, physicians transfuse whole blood in its original form. They can also separate blood into platelets, plasma, and red cells. Whole blood typically goes to patients undergoing surgery and trauma treatment. Whole blood donors may give up to six times a year, every 56 days.

Donors can also opt to make a Power Red donation, which separates concentrated red blood cells from whole blood. During a Power Red donation, donors give nearly twice the amount of red cells, allowing them to help more patients. After donating whole blood, a machine separates red blood cells from its other components. American Red Cross staff members then return the platelets and plasma to the donor’s blood; the whole donation process takes about 90 minutes. Physicians use the red blood cells for trauma patients or anyone suffering blood loss, as well as for emergency transfusions during childbirth. Donors can schedule a Power Red donation up to three times a year.

The American Red Cross welcomes plasma donations from eligible donors. Once a month, donors can participate in an AB Elite donation, which uses an automated process to separate plasma from collected blood. Plasma helps stop bleeding in trauma situations and emergencies. Only AB positive or negative blood types can donate plasma since these types can be given to patients of any blood type. Only 4 percent of the population has an AB blood type, making plasma donations particularly essential. The process takes just a few minutes more than a whole blood donation.

In addition to collecting whole blood and blood components at blood drives, the American Red Cross takes platelet donations at its donation centers. Platelets are blood cells that form clots to stop bleeding. Often, cancer patients and organ transplant patients require platelets.

The platelet donation procedure takes two and a half to three hours. An apheresis machine collects platelets and some plasma, then returns the majority of the plasma and all of the red blood cells to the donor. A specific platelet donation is much more effective than a whole blood donation because one platelet donation can provide several units for transfusion. All blood types can donate platelets as often as once a week.