Blood donation is a wonderful way of giving back a life, but to ensure the safety of both donors and recipients there are few requirements you should keep in mind.
Know Your Blood Group : –
The first step is to know your blood group and to which blood group your blood matches for donation. See the blood donation chart below
- Blood O can donate red blood cell to anybody its the Universal Blood Donor.
- Blood group AB can recieve red blood cell from anybody its the Universal Recipient.
- Blood A and give blood to A’s and AB’s only
- Blood B can give blood to B’s and Ab’s only
In addition to the A and B antigens, There is a third antigen called the Rh factor, which can be either present (+) or absent ( – ). In general, Rh-negative blood is given to Rh-negative patients, and Rh positive blood or Rh negative blood may be given to Rh positive patients.
A healthy person:-
- You should be healthy, fit and not be suffering from any transmittable diseases can donate blood.
- You must be 18 -60 years old and have a minimum weight of 50Kg can donate blood.
Check when did you last time donated blood or suffered from any serious diseases:-
You should not already be donated blood or have been treated for malaria within the last three months.
Maintain your blood donation eligibility:-
- Don’t consume Alcohol or caffeine beverages before donating blood.
- Have a healthy meal before your donation – avoid foods with high fat just before donation.
- Maintain Hemoglobin level 12.5% minimum.
To be careful:-
You should not be suffering from Cardiac arrest, hypertension, kidney alignments, epilepsy, or diabetics. if so you must consult the doctor before donating the blood.
Ladies with a bad miscarriage should avoid donating blood for the next 6 months, or if they have been involved in some serious accident.