Many members of The Colony’s local neighborhoods started the new year with a blood drive. On January 8th, The Colony ER Hospital partnered with The American Red Cross to host a blood drive at our facility. It started 2019 off right by supporting our community with this massive public health effort. The Colony ER Hospital has run several blood drives over the past year, and we have plans to run more, which might bring some people to wonder what blood drives contribute. Since blood drives happen so often and are held at hospitals, schools, and even grocery stores, they can feel mundane or common place.
In honor of National Blood Donor Month, The Colony ER Hospital wants to shed some light on blood donations and all that they do. These important facets of public health contribute in ways that many people may not realize and participating in them can become a rewarding experience for many people.
What Blood Donors Give
What do patients going into surgery, suffering from severe injuries, recovering from burns, and even those diagnosed with cancer have in common? They all can benefit from blood donations. While many people are aware that trauma patients and surgeries often use blood transfusions, it is easy to overlook the many other health conditions which are treated with the help of blood donations.
Severe burn patients benefit from plasma that is found in blood donations. Certain kinds of cancer can be treated with the help of blood platelets. Chronic diseases like Sickle Cell Anemia can also benefit from donations of healthy blood for their long-term treatment. The list for ways that blood donations are used goes on, and no matter which condition is being treated, blood donations are vital and blood banks are often in need.
When to Give
Since blood donations are so necessary, some people might be wondering if they should become a donor. There might be health concerns or anxieties involving needles that make some people afraid to give blood, but for the most part, anyone can give blood. There are very few health conditions that might prevent someone from giving blood. Genetic diseases or current infections can be prohibitive, so if you have the flu or are worried about any factors in your family history that might deter from blood donations, then talk to your doctor to get a blood test and see if you’re eligible to give.
Blood banks are often in need of blood, and any blood type is welcome, since there are thousands of patients everywhere who could be a match, whether you’re B-negative or A-positive. Blood types O-negative and AB types are often in extra need, though. AB blood types are rare, which makes them important factors when matching with a patient who is also an AB blood type. O-negative is considered a universal donor, as it can be used with patients of any other blood type for effective treatment.
Every day, medical professionals use blood donations in life-saving procedures. Just one donation can make the difference in saving not just one, but several lives, which is why blood banks host so many drives. The effort to raise awareness and outreach is important for blood donations, and The Colony ER Hospital has been proud to take part in several blood drives with The American Red Cross. These drives go directly to benefiting The Colony’s local communities, by stocking blood banks and keeping our healthcare infrastructure strong. If you’re thinking about giving blood in the new year, then talk to a doctor and keep an eye on our Facebook page. You can see pictures from our past blood drives and get informed about our future events. We encourage everyone who can give blood in our community to take part and help support The Colony.
Nutex Health, Inc supports you and your family’s health. You can depend on The Colony Emergency Room Hospital or any one of our concierge-level, freestanding emergency facilities to deliver the emergency care you deserve, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Comments are closed