Whole Blood Donation Program
Autologous Donation Program
Directed Donation Program
Apheresis Donation Programs:
Rare Donor Program
Each whole blood unit can generate up to four components: red cells, platelets,
plasma and white cells. All whole donors must meet all regular donor
criteria. The donation procedure is quite simple, and generally only
takes 30 to 45 minutes. You may donate whole blood every 56 days. Bloodmobiles
travel throughout the south Florida region to schools, businesses, religious
organizations, and civic groups. You may also donate at one of our 15
convenient donor centers.
To schedule an appointment,
click here.
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If you are going to have elective surgery, you may donate for yourself.
Autologous blood is drawn from an individual prior to surgery and given
back to the same individual when and if a need for transfusion arises.
When you donate for yourself you will receive the safest
possible blood transfusion as there will be almost no risk of any adverse
reaction or infectious disease; and your blood will be available when needed.
You will help conserve our community blood supply so that there will be enough
blood available for both emergencies and for those who cannot donate for
themselves.
A physician's prescription is needed for autologous donations. You can
fax or bring your prescription to one of our 18
donor centers throughout South Florida. Appointments are not required,
but are recommended. Your donation must not occur within 72 hours of
your scheduled surgery. At the time of donation, your blood is specially
labeled with tags and bar codes. It is tracked through the processing,
testing and delivery cycle to make sure you, and only you, will receive
it. Your hospital's blood bank will double check the blood when it is
delivered. If you do not use the blood you donated for yourself during
your surgery, it will be discarded. Even if your surgery is taking place
outside South Florida, we can still ship it to the proper hospital; however,
the donor/patient is responsible for the processing and shipment fees
for blood shipped out of the area.
To schedule an appointment,
click here.
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A directed donor is a blood donor who wishes his or her unit of blood to
go to a specific patient. All directed donors must meet all regular donor
criteria without exception. To be a directed donor, you must know
the following: name of patient, birth date of patient, proposed date
of blood usage, patient's physician, patient's hospital, and patient's
social security number. Donations must be made no more than 21 days prior
to expected patient use and no less than 72 hours prior to patient use.
To schedule an appointment,
click here.
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Special automated devices called apheresis (a-fur-ee-sis) machines
can separate blood into its components. Unlike a whole blood donation,
during an apheresis donation, a needed component, or a combination of components
(such as platelets or plasma), can be collected and saved while the remaining
unneeded components are returned to the donor. Donor blood remains inside
sterile, disposable plastic software at all times and is not exposed to
any tubing or equipment that has been in contact with another donor's blood.
All apheresis donors must meet all regular donor criteria. Apheresis procedures
usually last between 45 to 90 minutes.
Procedure: Whole blood is drawn from a donor's arm and channeled
through the apheresis machine, that separates and collects only the needed
component(s). The remaining components are returned to the donor through
the other arm. In single needle procedures, the blood is withdrawn and returned
in phases using one needle in one arm. A disposable "apheresis kit" is
used for each procedure; this assures that each donation is absolutely safe
and sterile.
Please consider becoming an apheresis donor; call the donor
center nearest you to schedule an appointment or call (800) 869-9628 and
ask for the telephone recruitment department.
If you donate 10:30 am - 1:30 pm, Monday through Friday, or Saturday
from 10 am - 2 pm, lunch is on us.
To schedule an appointment,
click here.
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Platelets, the smallest blood cells, are the part of the blood that help
it to clot. Platelets are vital to patients with leukemia and other cancers,
patients undergoing open heart surgery, and those in need of bone marrow
and organ transplants. During an apheresis platelet donation, the donor
can donate six to ten times more platelets than during a whole blood
donation. So instead of a patient receiving six units of platelets from
six different donors, he or she can receive the same amount of platelets
from just one donor. The entire process takes approximately 90 minutes.
Platelet donations can be made as often as every two weeks.
Participate in our "Miles
for Mondays" program and you can earn free American Airlines
miles.
To schedule an appointment,
click here.
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Plasma, the liquid portion of the blood, is needed in organ transplantation.
During an apheresis plasma donation, the donor can donate three times
more plasma than during a whole blood donation. So instead of a patient
receiving three units of plasma from three different donors, he or she
can receive the same amount of plasma from just one donor. The entire
process takes approximately 60 minutes. Plasma donations can be made
as often as every four weeks.
Donors with blood type AB not only have a rare blood type (only four percent
of the population is AB), but they also have a rare opportunity to save
lives in a special way. Donors with AB blood
types have "universal donor plasma", so it can be transfused
safely into a patient of any blood grouping.
To schedule an appointment,
click here.
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A special kind of apheresis donation, Automated Blood Component (ABC) Collection
allows donors to give only those blood components need for patient transfusions.
The needed blood components are separated while the donor is in the chair.
ABC collection can yield all three components (red cells, platelets,
and plasma) or a combination (such as red cells and platelets) from just
one donor. This eliminates the need for multiple donations for one patient.
Any unneeded components are returned to the donor. The procedure takes
60 - 90 minutes, depending in the combination of products donated (to
best match the current needs of patients).
To schedule an appointment,
click here.
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Unlike a traditional whole blood donation, Automated Red Cell Collection
(2RBC) allows the donor to give two units of red blood cells, instead
of just one. The process separates your blood into its components while
it is being drawn. Because only red blood cells are being collected,
there will enough for two red cell transfusions. The remaining components
are returned to the donor. The procedure takes just 20 minutes longer
than a whole blood donation. 2RBCs can only be donated every four months.
2RBC donors must be certain height and weight requirements, as well as
other donor criteria:
Must weigh at least 130 lbs. and be 5'1" or taller
Must weigh at least 150 lbs. and be 5'5" or taller.
To schedule an appointment,
click here.
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In addition to the four basic blood groups — A, B, O, and AB -- there
are more than 400 other groups or variable factors that are considered
when determining an individual's exact blood type. Your combination of
blood group factors are inherited from your parents. This makes all of
us different from one another with the exception of identical twins, who
have exactly the same factors.
Following your donation, your blood is tested
for factors that indicate if you are a "rare" donor.
you lack a particular blood factor
that almost everyone else has.
you have a particular blood fact
that most people do not have.
your blood has an unusual combination of blood factors.
If you are identified as a rare donor, your name is placed in our file
with other donors who have rare blood types. A special code is assigned
to you in our computer system for quick reference should your specific
blood type be needed by a patient. This "matching" helps insure
better compatibility of donor and recipient blood. "Rare" blood
donors may help patients within the South Florida area, in other parts
of the United States, or even outside the country. Rare blood, which
is processed by our Red Cell Reference
Laboratory, may be stored in either a liquid or frozen state to be
made available for patients with special needs.
To schedule an appointment,
click here. |
