1.

plasma: About 55% of whole blood is blood plasma, a fluid that is the blood's liquid medium, which by itself is straw-yellow in color. The blood plasma volume totals of 2.7-3.0 litres in an average human. It is essentially an aqueous solution containing 92% water, 8% blood plasma proteins, and trace amounts of other materials. Plasma circulates dissolved nutrients, such as, glucose, amino acids and fatty acids (dissolved in the blood or bound to plasma proteins), and removes waste products, such as, carbon dioxide, urea and lactic acid. 2. red blood cells (erythrocytes): These contain hemoglobin, an iron-containing protein, which facilitates transportation of oxygen by reversibly binding to this respiratory gas and greatly increasing its solubility in blood. 3. White blood cells: White blood cells are part of the immune system; they destroy and remove old or aberrant cells and cellular debris, as well as attack infectious agents (pathogens) and foreign substances 4. Platelets: Platelets are responsible for blood clotting (coagulation). They change fibrinogen into fibrin. This fibrin creates a mesh onto which red blood cells collect and clot, which then stops more blood from leaving the body and also helps to prevent bacteria from entering the body.

2. Blood Type Matching

3. Scientists have known for many years that blood group matching is important in transfusion and it is equally important in kidney transplantation. 4. There are four major blood types. These types are simply noted as blood type A, B, AB and O. The positive or negative feature in blood typing is not a factor when determining compatibility between a donor and a recipient. Blood Type 5. Blood Type Compatibility Chart Blood Type: O A B AB Blood Type: O A B A Can Donate To: A,B, AB, O A or AB (O)* B or AB AB Can Receive From: O (A)* A or O B or O A or B or AB or O

(Blood Type O is the Universal Donor: donors with O blood are compatible with any other blood type) (Blood Type AB is the Universal Recipient: recipients with AB blood are compatible with any other blood type) * Recently, it has been discovered that some donors with blood type A may donate to a blood type O recipient. Person with blood type A or AB and someone with blood type B may donate to a person with B

or AB. A person with blood type AB may only donate to an individual who has that same blood type.

You don't need a special reason to give blood; you just need your own reason. Some of us give blood because we were asked by a friend. Some know that a family member or a friend might need blood some day. Some believe it is the right thing we do. The number one reason donors say they give blood is because they "want to help others." (I donate because I was one of these people that needed help in the summer of 2004.) Whatever your reason, the need is constant and your contribution is important for a healthy and reliable blood supply. And you'll feel good knowing you've helped change a life.

Introduction
Blood banking is a medical logistic activity. It attempts to bring the potentially life-saving benefits of transfusion to the patients who need them by making blood components available, safe, effective and cheap1. Blood banks try to maximize delivering getting blood from the right donors to the right patients in a timely manner. The easiest way to assure the timely availability of blood is to have an appropriate inventory on the shelf at all times. Standards for blood banking have evolved in response to problems observed in the past2. Donors need to be free of syphilis, hepatitis, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and from a host of other diseases as well. Methods for cleaning the arms of donors should work. Blood bags should contain the appropriate solutions and be sterile. Systems for the identification of donors and patients, for the determination of antigens on their blood cells and the antibodies in their sera, and for the procedures and processes used to gather and maintain this information should be robust. Regulatory agencies, like the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are charged to assure that blood products are safe and effective3. They attempt to assure safety by enforcing the standards noted above. They attempt to assure effectiveness by demanding

demonstrations that a reasonable fraction of red cells, platelets and plasma proteins survive after storage before licensing new blood storage systems or blood modifying products like leukocyte reduction filters4,5. Yet the reasonable fraction for red cells is 75%, for platelets is 67%, and for plasma proteins is 80%. Standards, such as insisting that every unit of blood be tested for HIV, work only if the licensed tests detect the circulating viruses, a moving target. Better understanding of the basic biology and better tests on which to base better standards are needed. If we understood the changes that occur with the storage of red cells, platelets and plasma better, we could both design better storage systems and regulate storage more effectively. If we knew more about the viruses and bacteria and the cytokines and blood breakdown products that threaten blood safety we could institute controls to further improve blood safety.

Collection, processing, storage and distribution of blood products.

(a) The containers shall be pyrogen-free, sterile and free of foreign material and shall contain sufficient anticoagulant for the quantity of blood to be collected. (b) Only anticoagulants which meet standards of Federal regulations shall be used, in the amounts necessary to give optimal proportion of blood to anticoagulant. (c) Both donor and future recipient shall be protected by proper preparation of the site of the venipuncture. Preparation of the skin shall provide maximum assurance of an aseptic procedure and a sterile product. Care shall be taken to prevent contamination of the phlebotomy needle and the phlebotomy site. (d) All instruments used in the bleeding and processing of blood shall be sterile and dry prior to use. (e) Pilot samples shall be attached to the container and identified by a numerical system to relate directly to the donor or to the container. (f) Specific instructions and appropriate materials for the handling and treatment of adverse donor reactions shall be readily available to all personnel in the blood bank.

(g) Blood shall be stored at temperatures between 1 and 6C with avoidance of fluctuations of more than 2C. The temperature of blood during shipment should be maintained between 1C and 10C. (h) All equipment used in processing blood and blood products shall be in optimal working condition, checked, and calibrated. Maintenance and control data shall be recorded and available for inspection by the Department. (i) The refrigerator in which blood is stored shall contain only blood and blood components. It shall be provided with a fan for circulating air or be of such capacity and design to ensure adequate circulation of air. (j) Expiration rules shall be as follows: (1) The expiration date for ACD or CPD whole blood (human) and red blood cells (human) shall be 21 days from date of collection. Expiration date for heparinized blood shall be 48 hours after collection provided the product is collected in a closed system and remains in the same bleeding container. If the seal is broken, blood must be transfused within 24 hours. (2) The expiration date for platelet concentrate, room temperature storage, shall be 72 hours from time of collection, with storage at temperatures between 20 and 24C. (3) The expiration date for fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate is 12 months from donation of original pint of blood, with storage at -18C or lower. (4) The expiration date for frozen blood cells is 3 years from the date of donation, stored at -65C or colder. After reconstitution, expiration date is within 24 hours, stored at temperatures between 1 and 6C. (5) The expiration date for single donor plasma (human) is 6 weeks, stored at temperatures between 1 and 6C. These expiration dates are in effect until modified by Federal Regulations. Reference should be made to 21 CFR Part 640. (k) Before issuing blood from the blood bank, all data on the label shall be carefully checked and ascertained to be clear and legible. (l) All procedures for the preparation of blood products shall meet standards acceptable to the Department. Complete protocols for these procedures shall be submitted to the Department at the time of license application or when any protocol is modified and when any amendment to the license is requested.