It is National Blood Donor Week in Canada and Canadian Blood Services will be in Weyburn today for a blood drive at Knox Fellowship Hall.
Canadian Blood Services is responsible for managing the country’s blood supply, through collecting, testing, and manufacturing blood and blood products. This includes red blood cells, platelets, and plasma. These products are distributed to health care providers to treat patients across Canada.
They also provide information to potential donors about what they can expect and how they can prepare. The Canadian Blood Services website emphasizes that participation is entirely voluntary; donors can leave at any time but are asked to inform a member of the team before leaving.
Before donating, it’s important to have something to eat in the hours before donating. However, fatty or fried foods should be avoided. Upon arrival, donors will complete a questionnaire to ensure eligibility, their identity will be confirmed, and temperature and hemoglobin levels will be tested.
Drink at least 500 millilitres of water prior to the appointment alongside a salty snack. This helps maintain blood volume and improve the donation experience.
The needle used during the collection process is sterile, used only once and discarded. Approximately 500 milliletres of blood will be collected in a process taking 10 to 15 minutes. Donors will be asked to do muscle tensing exercises while donating and before standing up.
If at any point a donor is feeling dizzy or unwell, they should let a team member know.
Following donation, a pressure bandage will be applied to the arm, donors are asked to remain in the waiting area for at least 15 minutes to re-hydrate and have a snack. If a donor is feeling faint, they should sit down and rest with their head between their knees or lie down.
After leaving the donor centre, donors should continue to drink plenty of fluids throughout the rest of the day, avoiding alcoholic beverages. The bandage should be left on for at least an hour, then removed and washed with soap and water to prevent a rash. If bleeding has not yet stopped, re-apply the bandage, apply pressure for five minutes, then remove it after four hours. Strenuous activity should be avoided for six to eight hours post-donation, and heavy lifting for 24 hours.
Book your appointment today and find more information at the Canadian Blood Services website.