Blood Donor Services
Blood Bank and Blood Donor Services
It is critical that a supply of fresh blood be available in the hospital at all times, particularly for emergencies. Many hospitals maintain blood supplies by ordering it from an outside source. Phelps, however, is a stand-alone blood bank that depends on donations from members of surrounding communities. More than 90% of patient blood requirements at Phelps are met through the Blood Donor Room.
Special blood donation programs are also available at Phelps, including: Autologous Donor Program, which allows patients to pre-deposit their own blood prior to elective surgery. Directed Donor Program, which allows for blood to be donated for a specific recipient, if compatible.
The Gift of Life
Every three seconds someone in the United States needs a lifesaving blood transfusion. There is no substitute for human blood, so when you donate blood, you are truly giving a "Gift of Life."
Who Needs Blood
Blood performs many important functions. It carries oxygen to organs and tissues, helps the body fight against infections and heal wounds, and carries blood cells, nutrients, enzymes, and hormones to all tissues. Patients who undergo heart surgery, organ transplant, or treatment for cancer, or those who have anemia or are experiencing trauma due to accidents or burns may need blood transfusions. With advances in medical treatments and greater longevity, the need for blood is increasing. Currently, approximately 35,000 units of blood are used in the United States every single day.
The Donation Process
Donating blood is safe, easy, and takes less than an hour. When you donate blood, you will be given a mini-physical to check your temperature, blood pressure, and pulse, as well as a finger-stick to measure your hemoglobin level. You will then complete a brief, confidential questionnaire about your health, travel, and medicines. Following the cleansing of your arm with an antiseptic, a new, sterile needle will be gently inserted. A little sting is felt when the needle is inserted, but there should be no pain during the donation. Donors are monitored throughout the procedure, and needles are immediately discarded after the blood is collected. You will enjoy a relaxation period after the procedure with cookies and beverages to replace some of the fluids lost during the donation. Your body replaces the blood volume within 24 hours and will replace the red cells in about 8 weeks.
Is Donating Blood Safe?
Each blood collection set, which includes the bag, needle and tubing, is new, sterile and is used only once. Afterwards, it is discarded. Sometimes people ask if they can get AIDS or any other disease from donating blood. The answer is, "Absolutely not."
Who Can Give Blood?
In order to donate blood, a person must be in good general health and:
- Be at least 17 years old;
- Weigh 110 pounds or more;
- Have not donated within the previous 8 weeks;
- Present official form of identification, preferably one that shows signature and /or photo.
Are there physical side effects from donating blood?
Most people feel fine after donating blood and have no side effects. Donors are encouraged to drink extra fluids to replace the blood volume lost from donating and should avoid exercising or doing any strenuous work with the donating arm for 4-6 hours to avoid bleeding from the site. Donors can resume full activities as long as they feel well.
How safe is the blood that is transfused to patients?
Nothing biologic is ever going to be 100% safe, but blood is very safe today and becoming safer as additional testing becomes available. Currently, we test every unit of blood for AIDS, Syphilis, two types of Hepatitis, and the West Nile Virus. In addition, we rely on donors to supply us with accurate information that allows us to exclude from the donor pool anyone whose activities are considered high risk.
Where can blood be donated?
At Phelps Memorial Hospital, we rely on volunteers from the community to provide this lifesaving product for our patients. Blood drives sponsored by other organizations distribute the blood they collect to patients throughout the country; whereas, blood donated at Phelps is used specifically for Phelps patients. If the number of donations does not meet our patient needs, however, we must buy blood from the New York Blood Center. To consistently achieve our goal of meeting all of the blood product needs of our patients, we need more people to donate blood on a regular basis.
Phelps' Blood Donor Room is located on the G-Level of the hospital. We will gratefully accept blood donations:
- Monday and Thursday, 9-5 pm;
- Tuesday and Wednesday, 12-8 pm;
- Friday, 9-3 pm.
If you have any questions about becoming a donor or about the donating process, or if you would like to make an appointment to give the gift of life, please call 914-366-3916.