World Blood Donor Day 2022: Reasons To Not Donate blood

A voluntary donation of blood by people who are willing and able is an invaluable initiative that saves lives. Whereas most healthy people can donate blood regularly, many of whom take the initiative and do it, some people may be unwilling to donate blood and come up with excuses such as ''Others are donating enough'' or '' My blood type is not in demand''. The below article will focus on valid reasons/situations for not donating blood.

Age

If your age is less than 18 years or more than 60/65 years; ordinarily people in the above-mentioned age groups are not required to donate blood.

Weight

If your body weight is less than 50 kg

Blood pressure

It is acceptable to donate if your BP is above 90/50 mm Hg to below 180/ 100mm Hg.

Pulse rate

A donor with a pulse rate of anywhere between 50 to 100 / min can donate.

State of health

1. If you are suffering from any infection, for example, respiratory tract infections, Acute gastroenteritis etc

2. If you have recently had a tattoo or body piercing you cannot donate for 6 months from the date of the procedure. If the body piercing was performed by a registered health professional and any inflammation has settled completely, blood can be donated after 12 hours.

3. If you have visited the dentist for a minor procedure, you must wait 24 hours before donating; for major work wait a month.

4. You must not donate blood If you do not meet the minimum haemoglobin level for blood donation. A haemoglobin level of not less than 12.0 g/dl for females and not less than 13.0 g/dl for males is the threshold.

Travellers

If you have travelled to areas where mosquito-borne infections are endemic, e.g., malaria, dengue and Zika virus infections. Or if one has lived in an area endemic for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD).In these situations, blood donation is temporarily deferred.

At risk behaviours

If one has engaged in “at-risk” sexual activity in the past 12 months; blood donation is best deferred pending HIV, Hepatitis B and C testing.

Individuals who have ever had a positive test for HIV (AIDS virus) or have ever injected recreational drugs will be deferred permanently.

Pregnant 

A pregnant woman is exempt from donating blood: It is not advisable to donate blood while breastfeeding. Following childbirth, the deferral period is at least 9 months and until 3 months after the baby is significantly weaned.

Medication

Aspirin

 No waiting period is required for donating whole blood. However, you must wait 2 full days after taking aspirin or any medication containing aspirin before donating platelets by apheresis. 

Other anticoagulants/blood thinners

Contact an appropriate specialist to know if you can donate or not 

Antibiotics

As stated before a donor with an acute infection should not donate. The reason for antibiotic use must be evaluated to determine if the donor has a bacterial infection that could be transmissible by blood. If the donor is on oral antibiotics, he may donate blood on the day of the last antibiotic dose. If the donor was on IV antibiotics, he must wait for at least 10 days after the last injection 

Birth Control

Women on oral contraceptives or using other forms of birth control are eligible to donate.

Vaccination 

A waiting period of 2 to 4 weeks is required if the donor has taken any form of live attenuated vaccine such as a vaccine for Rubella or Covid. Individualized advice regarding specific vaccines can be taken at the blood bank for specific vaccines. However, for inactivated vaccines, there is no waiting period.

Insulin

Donors with diabetes who take any kind of insulin are eligible to donate as long their diabetes is well controlled.

HIV Medication 

If a person is on medication for post-exposure prophylaxis (preventive treatment given for accidental blood exposure/ needle stick injuries) he/she must wait for three months after the medication is finished to donate pending HIV testing. If a person is on treatment for established HIV infection, then they are not eligible to donate.

An organ transplant recipient

If the potential donor has received any type of organ transplant, he must wait three months. People with non-living animal tissues such as bone or tendon are acceptable as blood donors. If the donor has ever received a dura mater (brain covering) transplant, they are not eligible to donate. If they ever received a transplant of animal organs or of living animal tissue, they are not eligible to donate blood.

(By Dr Siri Kamath, Senior Consultant Physician, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital, Bengaluru)

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