GIVING BLOOD IN ORANGE COUNTY : AMERICAN RED CROSS GUIDELINES FOR DONATING BLOOD

Donors can give blood every 56 days if they weigh at least 110 pounds. Donors who weigh more than 300 pounds may donate safely at the Santa Ana collection center, where a special donor chair can accommodate their weight.

The Red Cross urges donors to eat normally before giving blood, and not to consume alcohol in the 24 hours before donation. Alcohol is known to cause false-positive results in one of the tests for non-A, non-B hepatitis.

COMMON REASONS FOR DEFERRAL OF BLOOD DONORS

Potential donors will be permanently deferred if they:

1. have had viral hepatitis or non-A, non-B hepatitis at any age.

2. have had a heart attack or have chronic heart disease.

3. have had a malignancy treated by chemotherapy.

4. have diabetes requiring use of insulin.

5. are at risk for AIDS. Those at risk include:

a. Males who have sex even once with another man since 1977.

b. Anyone who has ever taken illegal drugs by needle.

c. People who have AIDS or one of its symptoms.

d. People who have had a positive test for HIV antibody indicating past exposure to the AIDS virus.

e. People who have hemophilia and have received clotting factor concentrates.

f. People who are or have been the sex partners of any person described above since 1977.

g. Women who are now or who have been prostitutes since 1977.

h. Anyone who has been the heterosexual partner of a male or female prostitute within the last six months.

You will be temporarily deferred from donating if you have:

1. had an attack of malaria, have immigrated from a malaria endemic area, have traveled in a malaria endemic area within the last six months or have used anti-malarial drugs within the last three years.

2. received blood or plasma in the last six months.

3. been tattooed in the last six months.

4. had a tooth extracted within the last 72 hours.

5. been pregnant, miscarried, given birth or had an abortion within the last six weeks.

6. had coronary bypass surgery within the last 12 months or have not fully recovered, or are still on medication.

7. had an epileptic seizure within the last 12 months.

8. had surgical removal of cancer or radiation treatment for cancer within the last 10 years.

9. been in close contact during the last six months with someone who has had hepatitis B or non-A, non-B hepatitis.

Note: Every donor’s vital signs, hemoglobin and medical history are checked at the time of donation. This procedure may reveal other reasons for deferral not listed above.

Source: American Red Cross, Los Angeles-Orange Counties Blood Services Region.

COUNTY BLOOD COLLECTION, AMERICAN RED CROSS

Year Goal Production Variation (units) (units) (units) (percent) 1983-84 85,084 85,101 +17 ** 1984-85 87,572 *95,422 +7,850 9 1985-86 101,118 99,280 -1,838 -2 1986-87 105,000 101,162 -3,838 -4 1987-88 112,000 *** -- -- 1988-89 115,000 -- -- --

* Increase reflects opening of new Huntington Beach donor site.

** Less than 1%

*** Drive ends June 30, 1988.

Source: American Red Cross, Orange County Chapter

USES OF TRANSFUSABLE BLOOD

Cancer: 19.0%

Heart disease: 16.0%

Gastro-intestinal diseases: 16.0%

Injuries: 12.0%

Liver and kidney problems: 6.0%

Hemophilia: 5.1%

Bone diseases: 3.5%

Obstetrics: 4.3%

Other uses: 18.1%

Source: American Red Cross, Los Angeles/Orange County Blood Services Region