1. |
Someone needs blood every two seconds. |
2. |
About 1 in 7 people entering a hospital need blood. |
3. |
One pint of blood can save up to three lives. |
4. |
Healthy adults who are at least 18 years old, and at least 110 pounds may donate about a pint of blood—the most common form of donation—every 56 days, or every two months. Females receive 53 percent of blood transfusions; males receive 47 percent. |
5. |
Four main red blood cell types: A, B, AB and O. Each can be positive or negative for the Rh factor. AB is the universal recipient; O negative is the universal donor of red blood cells. |
6. |
Dr. Karl Landsteiner first identified the major human blood groups – A, B, AB and O – in 1901. |
7. |
One unit of blood can be separated into several components: red blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate. |
8 |
Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's organs and tissues. |
9. |
Red blood cells live about 120 days in the circulatory system. |
10. |
Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, proteins and salts. |
11. |
Plasma, which is 90 percent water, makes up 55 percent of blood volume. |
12. |
Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets. |
13. |
White cells are the body's primary defense against infection. |
14. |
42 days: how long most donated red blood cells can be stored. |
15. |
Five days: how long most donated platelets can be stored. |
16. |
One year: how long frozen plasma can be stored. |
17. |
Children being treated for cancer, premature infants and children having heart surgery need blood and platelets from donors of all types, especially type O. |
18. |
Thirteen tests (11 for infectious diseases) are performed on each unit of donated blood. |
19. |
Shortages of all blood types happen during the summer and winter holidays. |
20. |
There is no substitute for human blood. |
21. |
If all blood donors gave three times a year, blood shortages would be a rare event. |
22. |
46.5 gallons: amount of blood you could donate if you begin at age 17 and donate every 56 days until you reach 79 years old. |
23. |
After donating blood, you replace the fluid in hours and the red blood cells within four weeks. It takes eight weeks to restore the iron lost after donating. |
24. |
Blood makes up about 7 percent of your body's weight. |
25. |
A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his body. |
26. |
Giving blood will not decrease your strength. |
27. |
Blood donation. It's about an hour of your time. It's About Life. |