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50 Facts About Blood Donation and the National Blood Service
1. The National Blood Service began in 1946
2. Last year 1.8 million people gave blood
3. 10,000 units a day are needed by the NHS
4. Healthy individuals aged between 17 and 60 can enrol as a blood donor and may continue to donate until the age of 70
5. Only 6% of the population donate their blood.
6. Blood banks turn over their entire stock in a few days.
7. Only 45% of invited donors turn up on average.
8. The first successful blood transfusion was carried out in 1665 by Dr. Richard Lower who used animals as subjects.
9. In 1667 Dr. Lower transfused blood from a sheep into Mr. Arthur Coga who received a payment of 20 shillings for his cooperation.
10. Blood is made up of different parts or components - red cells, white cells and platelets suspended in plasma.
11. The incresed use of separate blood components means that at least three people can benefit from one donation.
12. Many operations require stand-by supplies of matched blood for each patient before they can go ahead.
13. Blood donors are asked to give blood twice or three times a year, but most give blood only once or twice annually.
14. Whole blood and red cells have a shelf life of only 35 days.
15. Platelets only last for three to five days.
16. Blood groups are classified into A, B, AB, and O, with either Rhesus positive or Rhesus negative typing.
17. Type O Rhesus negative is the universal donor as it can be given to everyone and is useful in emergencies when there is no time to establish a patient's blood group.
18. Early British history is reflected in the distribution of blood groups within the UK as invading Saxon (mostly Group A) pushed the native Celts (mostly O) to the West and North.
19. Blood Groups A, B, and AB are almost unknown in South America where most of the population is Group O.
20. Gypsieshave a very similar blood distribution profile to natives of North West India which confirms linguistic evidence that they originally came from that region.
21. Detailed similarities have also been found between blood groups of Polynesians and a Native American tribe in Western Canada, the Kwakiutl.
22. Sheep, cattle and goats have blood similar to Group A.
23. Over 90% of blood donated is divided into component parts - red and white cells, platelets, and plasma which are used to treat different patients.
24. Red cells contain haemoglobin which carries oxygen around the body and is used in cases of anaemia.
25. Haemoglobin is one of the most complicated chemical structures known, with 10,000 atoms.
26. Red cells can be stored frozen, although this is uncommon. It provides a method of keeping stock of rare blood groups.
27. White cells combat infection and are used for patients who cannot manufacture their own.
28. Platelets are essential for blood clothing and are used in cases of leukemia.
29. Plasma has many useful components, including factor 8, needed by people with haemophilia; human albumin, which is used in cases of severe burn and shock; and immunoglobulins, which protect against infectious diseases such as measles and hepatitis.
30. Giving a unit (just under half a litre) of blood takes about 10 minutes (but donors should allow around 45 minutes from beginning to end to include booking in and resting times)
31. It is possible, using modern techniques, to collect only platelets and/or plasma, while the other components are returned to the donor. This means that more frequent donations of these components are possible as they are made up very quickly.
32. There are some very rare blood groups which are outisde the usual A, B, AB, and O groups and for exact matches, there is a panel of about 2,000 people with rare blood groups.
33. An international panel of donors with rare blood types has recently been set up.
34. African and Afro-Carribean donors are particularly needed to help those with sickle cell disorder.
35. William Harvey first demonstrated the circulation of blood in 1628.
36. In 1657, Sir Christopher Wren injected fluids into the circulation of animals using an instrument invented by Harvey.
37. In 1668 a patient died after receiving blood from a calf which demonstrated the dangers of using animal blood.
38. Transfusions of human blood continued to cause unexplained deaths until 1900 when Dr. Karl Landsteiner of Vienna discovered the four different blood groups.
39. During World War I it was found that blood could be prevented from clotting by adding some Sodium Citrate.
40. It was also discovered that blood could be preserved by refrigeration for short periods.
41. The first voluntary blood donor service in the world began in 1921 when four members of the British Red cross volunteered to give blood at Kings College Hospital.
42. By the end of 1925, different donor panels had been set up in other large cities.
43. The first blood bank was opened in 1936 at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.
44. The first civilian blood bank in the UK opened in Ipswich in 1938.
45. In 1939, after the outbreak of World War II, four large civilian transfusion centres were set up near London and an Army Centre in Bristol.
46. In 1940 the Emergency Medical Service set up eight regional transfusion centres and hundreds of thousands of men and women acted as voluntary blood donors, saving the lives of many servicemen and civilians.
47. There are now 15 regional Blood Transfucion centres in England.
48. 30% of blood products are used in accident and emergencies; 20% in general surgery; 15% in orthopaedic surgery; 10% in maternity and 25% in non-surgical use.
49. All blood is now tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphillis.
50. In the last 50 years, volunteer blood donors have saved and improved the quality of millions of lives with their gift.
