Why is blood donation important?

Blood is essential in healing patients in need, saving lives. According to our current scientific knowledge, blood cannot be replaced by anything else, it cannot be artificially produced, and it can only be replaced by blood donation. Domestic health care institutions use ~ 390,000 Units of blood products annually, therefore - broken down into working days - 1600-1800 blood donors per day are needed for continuous and safe care.

Blood transfusions primarily are needed to care of the injured in accidents or during surgeries involving high blood loss, and many serious diseases, such as hematopoietic or malignant diseases also have a good chance of being cured, however, the patient must receive blood products continuously during treatment.

The blood product expires the shortest (platelet product) made from blood taken during a blood donation can only be used for 5 days, so the continuity of blood donations is very important.

Mi a vér szerepe?What is the role of blood?
Blood is one of the most important components of the human body. Its main function is to transport oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, waste products, hormones and it plays an important role in the heat management of the body and in protection against pathogens. An adult has an average of 5 liters of blood, of which approximately half a liter is a reserve, which can be mobilized if needed.

 

VércsoportokBlood Groups
Based on the ABO blood group system, 4 types of blood groups are distinguished: A, B, AB, and O. In Hungary, the most common blood group is A, while the rarest one is AB. This is not the case everywhere. For example, the most common blood type in the United States of America is 0. ABO blood groups were discovered by Karl Landsteiner in 1901. Before that, a major question in medicine was why a blood transfusion saves someone’s life and why another one dies. From the point of view of blood transfusion, the RhD blood group is the most important one after the ABO blood group system. If our blood contains RhD antigens, then we are talking about RhD-positive blood group, if it does not, we are talking about RhD-negative blood type. In Hungary, it is a professional requirement within the system of blood supply that if possible, each patient receives blood corresponding to his / her own blood group. In most cases identical ABO and RhD blood groups are sufficient, however, in specific cases, additional matching may be required. If, for professional or blood management reasons there is no option to donate the same blood group, a blood product of a different blood group may be used, strictly following the compatibility rules.

 

How many people can you save with a blood donation?How many people can you save with a blood donation?
Three types of blood products are made from each unit of blood taken:
red blood cell concentrate, platelet concentrate and fresh frozen plasma.
These products can be given to even three different patients. Hence the well-known slogan: Donate blood and save three lives!

Hogyan zajlik egy véradás?
How does the blood donation occur?