MORE FACTS ABOUT BLOOD

OUR BLOOD SUPPLY

Here are the facts concerning Connecticut...

Volunteer blood donors through the Connecticut Blood Services are the sole suppliers of blood to our 33 hospitals.

Nearly half of us will receive blood at some time in our lives.

More than 99,000 residents gave blood last year.

More than 17,000 residents gave blood for the first time last year.

163,383 productive units were separated into more than 431,000 blood components.

A goal of 171,000 productive units must be collected this year to meet the needs of Connecticut patients.

10-12 Blood Drives are held each day to collect an average daily goal of 600 productive units.

DID YOU KNOW?

Only about 5 percent of the population gives blood, while approximately 70% of the population is eligible to give blood.

When asked why they do not donate, most people say they have not been asked, or it is not convenient.

BLOOD FACTS

The most common blood type is O Positive (38 percent of the population). The rarest blood type is AB negative (1 percent of the population).

A donor's body replenishes the fluid lost from donation in 24 hours. It may take up to two months to replace the lost red blood cells. Whole blood can be donated once every eight weeks.

HOW LONG DOES BLOOD LAST?

Red blood cells may be stored under refrigeration for a maximum of 42 days, or they may be frozen for up to 10 years. Red cells carry oxygen and are commonly used to treat anemia.

Platelets are important in the control of bleeding and are generally used in patients with leukemia and other forms of cancer. Platelets are stored at room temperature and may be kept for a maximum of five days.

Granulocytes are sometimes used to fight infections, although their efficacy is not well-established. They must be transfused within 24 hours of donation.

Fresh frozen plasma, used to control bleeding due to low levels of some clotting factors, is usually kept in the frozen state for up to one year.

Cryoprecipitated AHF, which contains only a few specific clotting factors, is made from fresh frozen plasma and may be stored frozen for up to one year.

 

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Updated:    06/28/99