Common Registration Process for Blood Donation

Series Summary

Blood is needed every two seconds. One in seven people entering a hospital will need blood. Blood, unlike many medications and procedures, can not be manufactured or harvested. Sixty percent of the population can donate blood, but less than five percent actually donate.

You have heard it all your life. “Donate blood, and donate regularly.” Blood donations are extremely important to millions of people all over the world. In the United States alone, more than five million people will need a blood transfusion each year. The benefits are hard to deny. By donating blood, you are saving lives. Though some may be skeptical to donate blood, this act of charity and small sacrifice saves cancer patients, accident victims, and many more. The blood donation process is very quick and relatively painless. Typically, four hundred and fifty milliliters of blood is drawn during a donation process. After blood is drawn, blood plasma levels return to normal in twenty-four hours, and red blood cells are replaced within three to five weeks. With such quick recovery time, it's astounding that so many do not donate blood. Just think. In one donation, you can save three lives.

In this free video series, you will learn all about the blood donation process. Our expert, Geoff Balenger, shows you exactly what to expect when donoating blood. Learn about the registration process, and learn why you may be denied from donating blood. Geoff shows you how to prepare for a blood donation, and he illustrates the common test that the donor must receive. Learn how they actually draw blood. Geoff even shows you a demonstration of an automated blood drawing machine. These machines remove plasma and red cells from the blood. So, if you are unsure about the blood donation process, watch this free video series today!

Video Transcript

"My name is Pam. I work at Stanford blood center and we're here today to film the registration process at Stanford blood center. When our donors come in, we have them sign a information sheet. We ask them if they have their donor card. We scan their card if they have it. If they do not have it, we ask them for their photo Id and then we enter their name into the computer. Once we have done that, we ask them what type of blood donation they are doing today. Whether it's whole blood, whether it's platelets, whether it's double red cells, whether it's plasma and red cells together. When the donor comes in and gives me their name, and I find them in the computer. I have them read this form. It's called The Donor Educational Material. They read the entire form, pay careful attention to the medication defer list. When they've done that and they answer all of the questions on this form, they turn it around, they make sure that everything here that we've entered in the computer is correct and then they read the consent but they don't sign it now and then they return it to me when they are finished."