Highland blood donations - 12 ways they can help at Christmas (or any time)!
Christmas is nearly upon us and you may very well still be looking for gifts that are a little out of the ordinary.
However, did you know that as a regular blood donor, the gift you give can be used in some unexpected ways?
This is partly because blood can be separated into red cells, plasma and platelets - and each of these components can be used in very different ways.
And because it’s Christmas, we thought we’d share 12 of them:
1. Patients with Sickle Cell Disease may receive regular blood transfusions to help lower the concentration of sickle-shaped red blood cells in their bloodstream, reducing pain and helping prevent serious conditions like strokes;
2. Blood transfusions can be given to unborn babies in the womb suffering from severe anaemia, often due to their blood type being incompatible with their mother’s;
3. In newborns with haemolytic disease causing severe jaundice, exchange transfusions with donated blood is sometimes needed to remove the excess bilirubin and damaged red blood cells;
4. During complex cardiac surgeries, blood donations can support the patient’s circulation when the heart is stopped, and ensure safe recovery by maintaining oxygen levels and clotting abilities after surgery;
5. Giving a patient with low platelets (for example, someone suffering from Leukaemia) a platelet transfusion will reduce their risk of bleeding;
6. Some very ill patients need very specific types of platelets, fitting criteria that suits their individual needs. The testing done on donations means the donation service is able to invite donors who are an exact match to come in and donate;
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7. Plasma can be used to create intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), a treatment for autoimmune diseases, immune deficiencies, and certain neurological disorders;
8. Albumin is a protein that can be extracted from the plasma. This is used to prevent patients who have had serious injury, burns or bleeding from going into shock;
9. Cryoprecipitate is another component made from plasma. This can be used to treat bleeding where the patient’s natural clotting factors have been reduced, for instance if they have septicaemia (blood poisoning);
10. Patients with severe burns can be treated with plasma transfusions to replace lost blood volume, restore proteins, and support tissue healing;
11. In conditions like Guillain-Barré syndrome, lupus, or myasthenia gravis, a patient’s plasma can be replaced with donor plasma to remove harmful antibodies;
12. Finally, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service contributes to and benefits from international collaboration to ensure the supply of rare blood.
So, there you go.
If you’re a blood donor you might already have given something incredible this Christmas – and you never even knew.
No need to stop now, though. Get your New Year’s Resolution into gear already. How many lives can you change in 2025?
Book your appointment to give blood today.
You can do this online at www.scotblood.co.uk, by emailing nss.snbtsenquiry@nhs.scot or by phoning 0345 90 90 999 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm).