Dental Professionals

Blood Drive

Friday, September 30, 2005

3 lives are saved for every pint of blood donated

Blood donation. It's about an hour of your time. It's About Life.

Little did we know when we were in the planning stages of our 21st Century Dental Blood Drive that a need would arise such as that triggered by the recent devastation along the Gulf Coast. In that vein (sic), we were more burdened than ever to provide something that costs so little yet yields so much.

In conjunction with our Healthy Heart Month, the 21st Century Dental Blood Drive took place on the final Friday of September. We partnered with Carter BloodCare, and they were extremely professional and helpful in every way. A donation of $21 for every pint given was made to www.SalvationArmyDFW.org for the relief effort.

If you missed the drive, it is never too late to give blood. To do so, you may click here and put in your zip code for a location near you. Please use our account number (041455) and we will still donate $21 for you. 

Who is Eligible to Donate?

To be eligible to donate blood, a person must be in good health and generally must be at least 17 years of age (although some states permit younger people, with parental consent, to donate). Minimum weight requirements may vary among facilities, but generally, donors must weigh at least 110 pounds. Most blood banks have no upper age limit. All donors must pass the physical and health history examinations given prior to donation.

Who Should Not Give Blood (from CarterBloodCare - see their site for more details)

• Temporary Disqualifications

  •Cold/Don't feel well - Wait one day after symptom free.

  •Flu - Two days symptom free.

  •Dental - OK to donate day following dental work. For minor dental surgery, OK to donate one week after minor dental surgery.

  •Pregnancy - OK to donate six weeks after end of pregnancy.

  •Ear Piercing - OK to donate one week after, if performed in a doctor's office or with a sterile piercing gun.

  •Tattoo - OK to donate one week after, if performed by a licensed Texas facility, otherwise twelve months from date of procedure.

  •Body Piercing - None in the past year, unless done in a doctor's office.

  •Surgery - OK to give six weeks after hospital surgery; one week after surgery in a physician's office, or day surgery.

  •Last Blood Donation Eight weeks between whole blood donations. Two weeks between platelet donations. Sixteen weeks between automated double red cell donations.

  •Blood Transfusion or Tissue Transplant - None in the past year.

  •Malaria - One year following travel to malarial area as defined by the Centers doe Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). OK to donate three years after malaria is cured.

  Permanent Disqualifications

  •AIDS/HIV infection or exposure risk factors.

  •History of heart attack/stroke.

  •History of illicit drug use, including steroids, using a needle.

  •Human growth hormone injections prior to 1985.

  •Lymphoma or leukemia, melanoma.

  •Diabetic who ever took bovine (beef) insulin injections.

  •Viral hepatitis after age eleven.

  •More than three months spent (cumulative) in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996.

  •More than five years spent (cumulative) in Europe (including the United Kingdom ) from 1980 to the present.

  •Residence on U.S. military bases in Northern Europe for six months cumulative between 1980 and 1990 or elsewhere in Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, and Italy) from 1980 through 1996.

  •Recipients of blood transfusions in the UK since 1980.

Blood Types

The approximate distribution of blood types in the US population is as follows. Distribution may be different for specific racial and ethnic groups:

In an emergency, anyone can receive type O red blood cells, and type AB individuals can receive red blood cells of any ABO type. Therefore, people with type O blood are known as “universal donors,” and those with type AB blood are known as “universal recipients.” In addition, AB plasma donors can give to all blood types.

Other Facts You Should Know

1. Fewer than 5 percent of healthy Americans eligible to donate blood actually donate each year.
2. Multiple donations account for over 80% of Blood used for transfusions
3. The donor's body replenishes the fluid lost from donation in 24 hours. It may take up to two months to replace the lost red blood cells. Whole blood can be donated once every eight weeks (56 days).
4. Blood centers often run short of type O and B Blood.
5. 4.5 million: the number of American lives saved each year by blood transfusions.
6. Someone needs blood every two seconds.
7. 17 percent of non-donors cite "never thought about it" as the main reason for not giving, while 15 percent say they're too busy. The #1 reason donors say they give is because they "want to help others."