Göttingen. The number of blood donations is continuously falling throughout Germany. The UMG is also “increasingly experiencing critical bottlenecks,” says Rebecca Recknagel, spokeswoman for the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG). One reason for the Tageblatt to take a look behind the scenes at the UMG’s blood donation service and explain: How does a blood donation work? Should you be afraid of the needle? What happens to the blood after the donation? And: How full are the UMG’s supplies?
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Where is the blood donation service located?
Anyone who would like to donate blood to the hospital can do so on the third floor of the UMG, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, or at the location on the central campus, Weender Landstraße 1. The exact donation times The UMG informs on its websiteAt the University Hospital, afternoon appointments are particularly popular with donors, says donation doctor David B. Jerke. Anyone who wants to avoid waiting times should therefore come along to one of the morning appointments.
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How should you prepare for blood donation?
Prof. Tobias Legler, head of the transfusion medicine department at the UMG, advises: In order to be well prepared for donation, you should drink at least 1.5 liters throughout the day. This can reduce the risk of having circulatory problems after the donation. “If there is too little pressure or fluid in the vein, the diameter decreases and the blood cannot circulate as well.” Before the first blood donation, it can also help to drink more than usual a few days in advance.
Prof. Tobias Legler is head of the department of transfusion medicine at the UMG.
Source: Christine Mühlberg
It is also advisable to eat a light meal before donating. Preferably no milk or dairy products. “It can then happen that a layer of fat is deposited on the sample. This is not a problem, but it has to be removed in an additional step,” says Jerke.
In order to donate blood, a valid original identity card is required.
Can you donate blood even if you are taking medication?
Anyone between the ages of 18 and 68 and weighing at least 50 kilograms can donate, says the UMG. Donors can often clarify in advance with hospital staff whether they are suitable for donation despite previous illnesses or medication, says Legler. One should “not assume from the outset that one is not suitable.” What many people do not know is that, thanks to new technology, it has been possible for a few years now to use donations despite medication or previous illnesses.
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For example, someone suffering from hepatitis B will have to wait longer before they can donate, but they are not permanently barred, explains Legler. People with a thyroid disorder are also not excluded from donating blood. The situation is different with hepatitis C or HIV, for example. Anyone suffering from these diseases is not allowed to donate. However, this group is very small, says Legler. Only around five percent are not eligible for the hospital’s blood donation service.
How does the donation process work?
First, donors must register at the registration desk. First-time donors are advised to arrive at least one hour before closing time. Before each donation, a questionnaire must be filled out about any pre-existing medical conditions.
This is followed by a number of preliminary examinations and consultations with a doctor. Your pulse and temperature are measured. A short finger prick is also carried out to obtain a few drops of blood. These drops are used to quickly determine your hemoglobin level, i.e. the pigment in your red blood cells (erythrocytes). There is a minimum level of 12.5 grams per deciliter for women and 13.5 for men to be approved for donation.
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Then you go to the room where the actual donation takes place. Here, donors lie down on a couch and are looked after by the station staff. After they have disinfected the potential puncture site, the needle is inserted. For a whole blood donation, 500 milliliters of blood are taken, which takes between five and ten minutes. “We only use 450 milliliters of that,” explains Legler. “The remaining 50 milliliters are used for preliminary blood tests.”
After the blood has been taken, donors can refresh themselves at the donation snack bar on the same floor.
Should you be afraid of the needle?
When asked whether one should be afraid of the needle, employee Joalina König answers with a clear “no”. “As soon as the needle is in, you don’t feel it anymore,” she says.
How is the blood further processed?
The blood that has been taken must now be processed further before it can be administered to a patient. Legler explains: In the first step, the blood units must be left for around an hour. “So that the white blood cells can eat up any potential bacterial residues.” The units are then centrifuged for around 20 minutes and then put into a press.
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The blood plasma is deposited at the top of this press. The resulting fresh plasma is frozen and used, for example, in the case of “coagulation disorders or accidents,” says Legler. Plasma is the only blood component that is currently available in sufficient quantities at the UMG. The concentrate of red blood cells is deposited at the bottom of the press; this is used most frequently in cases of anemia and blood loss and is therefore also the most needed.
The middle layer contains white blood cells and platelets. The preparations from four donors of the same blood group are mixed and centrifuged again. This creates a platelet preparation that is used in patients with a disorder of platelet formation, for example after chemotherapy. Since four donors are needed for a platelet preparation, the UMG the platelet donation as an alternative to whole blood donation.
The centrifuged blood is pressed. Various blood components can be extracted from the layers.
Those: Rebecca Recknagel
Finally, all blood products are filtered and the white blood cells removed. The medical staff stores these products in cold storage rooms and tests them for diseases such as hepatitis, syphilis or HIV. This is done in two approaches: firstly, antibodies to viruses and bacteria are determined, and secondly, viruses are detected in PCR tests. “Only blood products that have been tested and released are brought to the distribution point and can then be retrieved from the stations,” says Legler.
Each patient should only receive the component “that he or she needs,” adds Recknagel. After 42 days in the cold storage room, the blood is unusable, says Legler.
How full are the supplies in the UMG?
In order for staff on the ward to be able to work in a relaxed manner, around 60 samples of the much sought-after blood group 0 (Rhesus negative) must be available. After a medical emergency, there were still between ten and 15 samples available on Thursday afternoon. “Such situations are critical for us,” says the department head. “Because we don’t know whether a patient still needs blood group 0 today.” There are still enough blood supplies, but the situation is becoming increasingly tense.
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There should be more donations here: blood group zero negative is in demand.
Source: Christine Mühlberg
The UMG has therefore been buying donations from the German Red Cross (DRK) for years. In a central collection point in Springe, around 100 kilometers away, DRK employees prepare samples from northern Germany and distribute them to hospitals, says Legler. “We are relatively close in Göttingen, but that is not the norm.” What is new is that the DRK can no longer meet some of the UMG’s requirements, says Recknagel.
You cannot donate blood and save it for yourself for the future.
Prof. Tobias Legler, Head of Transfusion Medicine at UMG
The principle of solidarity applies to blood donation, says Legler. “You can’t donate blood and put it aside for yourself for the future like with a pension plan.” Blood is the only raw material from which blood plasma and red and white blood cells can be produced. “It’s not like medicines that are made in a factory,” says Legler. “And the probability is high that you will find yourself in a situation where you need blood.”
The blood that is donated in Göttingen stays in Göttingen, says Recknagel. “You donate for Göttingen residents.”
GT/ET
