Blood: Role in Human Body

Human blood and blood plasma cannot be produced artificially. Sick people who need blood or drugs from blood or blood plasma are therefore dependent on donors. Cancer patients need the most blood, followed by heart, stomach and intestinal patients, and only in fourth place accident victims.

This is how our blood is made up

Our blood is made up of 55% blood plasma. This is the transparent fluid that settles when blood is left to stand. Plasma is made up mostly of water. But it also consists of about 120 proteins (4.5%), which are used to make highly effective drugs, for example, clotting agents for hemophiliacs (hemophiliacs) and immunoglobulins (preventive) against life-threatening infections, for example, hepatitis or tetanus. It also contains 45% blood cells:

Blood and plasma – 5 facts about donating and receiving.

  1. Blood differs by blood type, for example, rhesus factor and other factors. The donated blood must match that of the recipient.
  2. Many important substances and drugs are obtained from blood and blood plasma (blood products).
  3. Today, whole blood is rarely transferred! Most recipients receive quite specifically the components of the blood that they need. Thus, a blood donation can help many people.
  4. In whole blood donation, about 500 ml of blood is donated, which is only one-tenth of the total amount of blood. The donation takes about 20 minutes. Including examination, rest and snack is enough for just under an hour.
  5. You can also donate only plasma! In a special device (plasmapheresis device), the blood cells are separated from the plasma and returned to the body. All components of plasma the body replaces within two days! That is why you can donate plasma up to 40 times a year. The plasma donation itself takes about 40 minutes.

Blood has become very safe!

Many people are concerned about contracting AIDS or hepatitis, for example, when they receive blood, blood plasma or drugs made from blood plasma. Fortunately, these fears can be allayed today. In recent years, safety precautions in Germany have been improved immensely. The highest safety standards apply to recipients and donors:

  • Donors are screened before each donation. At the slightest doubt, for example, after piercing or stay in a malaria area must be paused.
  • Sterile disposable syringes and aseptic disposable parts are used during donation.
  • All blood donation services are regularly inspected by the authorities.
  • Every single blood or plasma is tested for HIV, various forms of hepatitis, syphilis, etc. using state-of-the-art methods.
  • Because some infections are not yet detectable in the blood in the early stages, fresh plasma is stored frozen in quarantine for six months. It is not used until the donor has been tested again.
  • Drugs made from blood plasma are “virus-inactivated” during production, which means that a broad spectrum of viruses is rendered harmless.

Since 1998, Germany is one of the few countries that have a transfusion law. It ensures the highest safety and quality standards. Modern state authorities monitor the safety of blood products. The German Medical Association and the Working Group on Blood continuously revise the scientific standards.

What blood donors want to know

1. Can’t blood donations be replaced by autologous blood donations? Yes, about 5% to 15%. For this to happen, treatment must be able to be planned well in advance and the person’s state of health must make it possible to donate blood. This is often not the case with cancer patients, for example. 2. Why should I donate free of charge or for a small compensation? Donating blood is voluntary. People should not be lured with risks because they need money. 3. donate whole blood or plasma? Germany is largely self-sufficient in whole blood. Plasma, on the other hand, still has to be imported in order to produce special drugs, for example factor VIII, immunoglobulins.4. Do I have advantages when I donate? Yes, definitely! The first time you donate, you will be told your blood type, for example rhesus factor. Each time, blood pressure, pulse, temperature and special blood factors are examined. If necessary, you will learn about an infectious disease at an early stage and can react quickly. 5 Who can donate and how often? Men can donate blood 6 times a year. Women, on the other hand, can only donate 4 times a year, since they also lose iron during menstruation and need a longer time to build it up again. Plasma can be donated by 18- to 65-year-olds up to 40 times a year. 6 Does it hurt to donate blood or plasma? Definitely no, because the amounts donated are small and are quickly replaced – and the little prick doesn’t hurt (most of the time) either!

Did you know …

  • That in Germany about 15,000 blood donations are needed every day, which means over 4.5 million a year?
  • That 66% of all people need blood, blood plasma or drugs from it at some point in their lives?
  • But that only 2.5% of German citizens donate blood voluntarily and unpaid several times a year? Our thanks go to these two million fellow citizens! But 30% of German citizens are basically willing to donate.