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Do blood transfusions shorten life expectancy?
Blood transfusions do not shorten life expectancy – it is considered a lifesaving intervention. However, it is essential to note that blood transfusions are done only when the benefits are higher than the risks transfusions may cause. Blood transfusions can cause a few complications, such as adverse immune reactions, allergies, and infections that can affect
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What are the Health Benefits of Becoming a Regular Blood Donor?
Did you know that donating blood doesn’t just help the recipients – it is beneficial for you too? Let’s explore how donating blood can reduce certain health risks… One of the benefits of giving blood is the intangible satisfaction that one gets from helping fellow humans in their time of need. The most vulnerable among
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What to Expect When Donating Blood For the First Time
It is natural for first-time blood donors to be a little fearful of the process, especially if they haven’t been around a blood donation drive or center. Those that make the leap and donate blood get to leave feeling good in the knowledge that their donation will help save lives. To ease those first-timer fears,
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Is Donating Blood Risky?
One thing that stops some people from being willing to give blood is fear. Today, donating blood is very safe. Sterile, disposable equipment is used for each donor, so there is no risk of getting a bloodborne infection by donating blood. To better understand the donation process and allay those fears, let’s address the minimal risks involved.
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What Types of Blood Donations are Considered Rare?
Many people learned about blood types sometime in school but may have forgotten a lot of that information. Let’s review some of the general principles so that you can better understand which blood types are rare, and why. Blood Types Review There are four major blood groups: A, B, AB, and O. These are further divided into
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Blood Donation Screening and Safety
The entire blood donation system would be ineffective and risky without stringent donor screening, safety protocols, and rigorous testing that is conducted. Donor Screening One of the first steps that every potential blood donor goes through, every single donation, is the registration and screening process. The standardized donor screening form is fairly lengthy, and covers
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What Type of Blood Donations Pay Money?
You may have heard about plasma donation centers that pay money for donations. Not all plasma donations are paid – community blood centers such as the American Red Cross and most hospital-based facilities are supplied by volunteer donors, just like for whole blood. While donating plasma definitely fulfills a need and extra money is tempting,
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The U.S. National Blood Supply Shortage
Periodically, we all see coverage on the news about a blood supply shortage, sometimes of a specific type – but sometimes all types and products are in demand. You may have heard things like “red alert” for a certain blood type. This refers to the system used by the American Red Cross to notify the
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The 4 Types of Blood Donations
While whole blood donation is what most people think of when donating blood. It is certainly the most common, however there are actually four different types of blood donations to be aware of. Each type is needed by recipients to treat different types of diseases and conditions. Whole Blood Donation Whole blood donation consists of one
