General Donation Procedures

When you give at one of our fixed sites or at a blood drive, you will be asked to complete a brief, confidential questionnaire concerning your medical history, lifestyle, and risk of exposure to infectious agents. Your answers to these questions will help us determine whether or not you are an eligible donor. If you meet the requirements for donating blood, you will then be given a "mini-physical" consisting of a pulse, temperature, blood pressure and iron-level check. This initial screening process and physical exam takes approximately 30 minutes. You will also receive by mail your overall cholesterol test results and blood type.

Component:

Giving whole blood is the most common blood donation and is offered at all fixed-site locations and mobile blood drives. Whole blood donation simply means that all the blood components are collected at the same time. Afterwards, each unit will be separated into components, such as red blood cells and plasma.

Procedure:
After you have passed the screening and medical exam, a technician directs you to the donor area where you sit in a comfortable position. The technician will swab your arm inside the elbow (to prevent infection) and insert a needle into a vein. The needle is attached to a sterile plastic bag. This takes about 10 minutes. Then the needle is removed and a sterile bandage is put on your arm. You can then relax and enjoy some
refreshments.

Basic Requirements:
Anyone 17 years or older, who weighs at least 110 pounds, and is in good general health may donate. Please bring identification.

Advantages:
This procedure is the fastest and allows you to donate again in 56 days.