DONATION
REQUIREMENTS
CONTACT US...
• Must be in good general health and feel
well
• Must weigh at least 110 pounds
• Must be 17 years old, or 16 with written
parental consent
• Must wait 12 months after having a tattoo
applied or ear/body piercing
• Must not have any open cuts
• Must not be pregnant
• Must be symptom free of cold or flu for
72 hours
South Bend Medical Foundation
530 North Lafayette Boulevard
South Bend, Indiana 46601
574.234.1157
8:00am-5:00pm Monday - Friday
7:30am-2:00pm Saturday
Medications
Most people taking medications, even
prescription medications, are accepted as
blood donors. Please bring a list of your
medications with you to your blood
donation. You may also want to call
574.234.1157 before your donation to see if
you are eligible to donate.
International Travel
South Bend Medical Foundation
118 West Edison Road
Mishawaka, Indiana 46545
574.273.8879
7:30am-8:00pm Monday - Friday
7:30am-2:00pm Saturday
To arrange a mobile blood drive
contact Kay Clark-Cox,
Manager of Blood Donor Recruitment
[email protected]
574.234.4176 *1250
Anyone who has recently traveled to or
lived in a malarial risk area will be temporarily deferred from donating blood.
Most international travel does not result in
deferrals, if you have any questions please
contact SBMF at 574.234.1157.
Look us up on the web
www.GiveBloodNow.com
Facebook address
[email protected]
BLOOD
DONATIONS
WHOLE BLOOD
Whole Blood Donation is the most common
type of blood donation. During this process
approximately one pint of whole blood is
donated. Each unit of whole blood is
separated into 3 products: red blood cells,
platelets and plasma. Therefore, with each
whole blood donation, up to 3 lives can be
saved!
Donating whole blood is safe and simple.
The entire process, from registration to
refreshments, takes approximately 45
minutes. Strict procedures for every step of
the process ensure the safety of the donor
and of the blood supply. Whole blood
donors can donate every 56 days or up to
six times a year. You must wait 56 days
between whole blood donations to allow
plenty of time for your body to replenish red
cells.
Blood donations are needed to help
patients to heal and recover, and they save
lives. Donations are especially needed
during the summer months and around the
holidays. During these times, the number of
donations drop and the amount of blood
being used increases.
PLATELET
APHERESIS
During a platelet apheresis donation, blood
is drawn from the donor's arm and delivered
through single use only sterile tubing into a
cell-separator machine. The machine spins
the blood to separate the needed components, and then returns the un-needed components back to the donor in the same arm.
The donation provides about six times as
many platelets as a unit obtained from whole
blood. Platelets are used to treat a condition
called thrombocytopenia, a shortage of
platelets, and in patients with abnormal
platelet
function. Cancer patients often need multiple
platelet transfusions to survive high dose
chemotherapy or radiation treatment to
survive. Platelets are stored at room
temperature for up to five days.
The entire apheresis process takes about an
hour and a half including registration and a
written medical history exam. Donors are
welcome to watch television, videos or surf
the internet during the donation process.
Platelet apheresis donors may donate up to
24 times per year. This is because the body
replenishes platelets more quickly than red
cells. Platelets will return to normal levels
within about 72 hours of donating.
Please note, if you alternate between giving
platelets and donating whole blood or
double red cell, the waiting time varies.
DOUBLE RED
Some people who meet specific height and
weight requirements can choose to or will
be advised to make an automated red cell
donation. These donors (referred to as
double red cell donors) help save two
patients with their single automated red cell
donation because it yields enough for two
red cell units. Twice the amount of red cells
is collected by an automated technology
known as apheresis collection. Double red
cell donors can donate every 112 days or 3
times a year. The double red cell donation
takes only 20 minutes longer than a whole
blood donation, so plan on about 1 hour
and 20 minutes for the entire donation
process.
The qualifications for double red donors are
similar to those for regular blood donations.
Double red cell donors must also meet the
following height, weight and hematocrit
requirements:
Males:
Minimum weight of 130 lbs., minimum
height of 5'1"
Females:
Minimum weight of 150 lbs., minimum
height of 5'5"
Hematocrit (Iron Level): For both men and
women the percent must be 40 or above.