Can you donate blood while fasting?

Blood donation is always very important. The need for blood donation, which is of vital importance, is also very high… Hospital blood banks, especially the Turkish Red Crescent, successfully fulfill this important task in meeting the demand for blood and blood products. prof. Dr. Barış Malbora emphasized that blood donation is a constant need, and gave information about the things to be considered about blood donation.

Stating that blood centers should keep sufficient stocks to meet the demands for blood and blood components in a timely manner and produce stock policies to prevent deterioration due to excess stocks, Prof. Dr. Barış Malbora said, „Unfortunately, we have all experienced together how important these policies were during the great earthquake we experienced recently. There are important notes that we, today’s healthy people, should also pay attention to. While covering the components together, these blood components are used more efficiently by separating these blood components from each other with high-tech devices, and more than one patient in need of different blood components can be healed with a sample taken from a volunteer.

Prof. Stating that there are ‚platelet suspension‘, ‚plasma‘ containing blood components, red blood, our blood coagulating cells and ‚granulocyte suspension‘, which is rarely needed, the body’s defense cells are very low and the cells called white blood cells that fight microbes are outsourced. Dr. Barış Malbora stated that there are various medical methods in obtaining these products.

„For example, for patients in need of red blood, whole blood collection is performed to obtain erythrocyte suspension. After this centrifugation process, it is separated into two important components. It separates into ‚platelet-rich plasma‘ and ‚erythrocyte suspension‘. Platelet-rich plasma is re-centrifuged into ‚platelet cells‘. suspension and ‚plasma‘. In other words, three different blood components are obtained from a healthy volunteer with this method. In other words, a volunteer can die from three different patients with three different problems. This process takes only 30-40 minutes of the volunteer’s life, while three separate blood components are obtained. Another method is the method in which only platelet is obtained and obtained with special devices called ‚apheresis‘ and higher quality platelets are obtained compared to the other method.

With the first method, the amount of platelets obtained from a volunteer is not sufficient for an adult patient, and platelets obtained from more than one patient with a similar method are combined and the platelet obtained by this method is called ‚pooled‘ platelet. In the second method, the amount of platelet obtained from a volunteer easily meets the needs of an adult patient. The product obtained by this method is called ‚apheresis platelet suspension‘. 6 to 8 times more product can be obtained than the platelet obtained from the first method. This method is much healthier for the patient. In order to obtain thrombocyte by apheresis method, it will be sufficient for our volunteers to spare an hour from their day. In addition, if the volunteer’s blood values ​​are suitable, two or even three units of thrombocyte suspension can be obtained at once. In other words, an hour from our lives can contribute to the survival of three patients who are prone to bleeding.“

Emphasizing that the storage conditions and durations vary according to the types of blood components, the expert name said, „For example, ‚whole blood‘ can be stored at 2-6 degrees in a blood storage cabinet with an alarm and temperature control for 35 days. The ‚erythrocyte suspension‘ can be stored under the same conditions for up to 42 days. Platelets. Unfortunately, we are not so lucky for the ’suspension‘.

Because the life of this blood component is only 5 days. For this, the ‚platelet suspension‘ maintains its functions in special bags at a temperature of 20-24 degrees, provided that it is constantly shaken in devices called agitators. It would be appropriate to administer all blood components as soon as possible after collection in order to maximize the benefit to patients. In addition, it should not be forgotten that the ‚platelet suspension‘, which has the shortest storage life, is a blood component that should be given both urgently and freshly for patients with bleeding.

TRUE AND WRONG FAULTS ABOUT BLOOD DONATION

Referring to the well-known misconceptions about blood donation, Prof. Dr. Barış Malbora, The first of these misinformation is that ‚it is easier to access common blood group components in society‘. It is known by many of us that the most common blood group in Turkey is A Rh positive. For this reason, individuals with this blood group may show ‚laziness‘ about donating blood, assuming that it is much easier to reach this blood group than other blood groups. This is a misconception. Because let’s not forget that there will be as many patients with the same blood group. Individuals with AB Rh negative blood group should pay twice as much attention to their own health. Because, first of all, your blood is very precious. You have golden blood for the patient in need. Second, if you need blood components, be careful. The rate of people with this blood type in our society is only 1%!“

„FASTING DOES NOT OBSTACLE TO BE A BLOOD DONOR“

Stating that it is not medically appropriate for a person who fasts during Ramadan, that is, a person who is hungry and thirsty, to be a blood donor during this period, even if his health permits, Malbora listed solutions for donating blood during Ramadan.

„As we all know, Ramadan is the holy month of the Islamic world. In this month, many people who are healthy in all Muslim societies fast as a part of their religious obligations. It is not medically appropriate for a fasting person to donate blood during this period, even if his health permits. In these holy days, we as physicians and patients who have to continue the treatment process such as leukemia, cancer, Mediterranean anemia (thalassemia), bone marrow failure patients, people who have had bone marrow transplants and patients who have to undergo major surgical interventions are having a hard time donating blood in Ramadan. They make important changes in their work flow to facilitate the blood donation process of our volunteers. While blood donations are accepted only during working hours on normal days, this process is carried out after iftar in Ramadan. Therefore, it should be essential for us, healthy blood donor volunteers to continue this health chain. In other words, fasting is a blood donor. never be a hindrance.“

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO TO DONATE BLOOD?

The first step is for the volunteers to apply to the Red Crescent branches or the blood bank of the hospitals with an identity card.
Next, the volunteer has to fill out the questionnaire form in which we review his health status.
In this form, it is questioned whether the patient has general health problems, the presence of regular and recent medications, whether he has recently tattooed his body, and whether he has traveled abroad, especially where infectious diseases are common and uncontrolled.
In this survey, if it is concluded that there is no obstacle for the volunteer to be a blood donor, blood donation can be made.