1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:04,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to brainstud a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 2: Hey brain Stuff, I'm Lauren vogel Bomb, and this is 3 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 2: a classic episode from our archives. This one goes into 4 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 2: the complex system that medical care providers use to make 5 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 2: sure that donated blood is safe from source to infusion. 6 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 2: Hey brain Stuff, Lauren Vogel Bomb. Here. 7 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 1: This episode talks about blood donation. So if that's the 8 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: kind of thing that makes you woozy, go on and 9 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: skip it. Okay, Every two seconds in the United States, 10 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 1: someone somewhere needs a blood transfusion. And let's face it, 11 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: many of us don't consider giving blood until there's a 12 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: major disaster where donations are needed. But just one donation 13 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: has the potential to save up to three lives on average. 14 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: When you donate blood, you provide about one pint. That's 15 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: about half a liter of whole blood, which is called 16 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: a unit of blood, and for reference, that's about sixteen ounces, 17 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: or the size of a large coffee. But in the 18 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: US alone, there is a need for almost thirty six 19 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: thousand units of blood every day, so it's excellent for 20 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: those who can donate to do so. But have you 21 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: ever wondered what actually happens after your blood is drawn 22 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: for a donation, Where does it go and how is 23 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:18,199 Speaker 1: the process tracked for safety and security. We'll break it down. 24 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: Step one is collection. When you donate blood, it's collected 25 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 1: in a special bag and likely a few test tubes 26 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: that were developed with an antiquagulant to prevent the blood 27 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 1: from clotting. Each bag and test tube is assigned the 28 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: same unique ID number to ensure that the collected blood 29 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 1: can be properly tracked and eventually labeled. Then the blood 30 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: is placed on ice before it's sent to the lab 31 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: for testing. Next, the bags and test tubes of blood 32 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: are packaged in boxes specially made to keep blood at 33 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: the right temperature until it can reach laboratories. For step 34 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: two processing, the test tube samples are sent off to 35 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: the lab for testing to be sure the blood is 36 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: safe and to determine the blood type. In the US, 37 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: the FDA regulates blood testing, clatlection, and blood components through 38 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: its Center for Biologics, Evaluation and Research. While that blood 39 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: is being tested, a blood processing center verifies the receipt 40 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 1: of the whole blood, sort of like tracking a package 41 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: from post office through delivery. The blood's idea is checked 42 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: in at every step of the way. Next, the units 43 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: of whole blood are separated into specific components. This separation process, 44 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 1: which is called component therapy, is accomplished by spinning the 45 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: blood in a centrifuge. The heavy red cells fall to 46 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:32,239 Speaker 1: the bottom and the blood is divided into transfusible components 47 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: red cells, platelets, and plasma. The plasma might even be 48 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: processed further. For instance, plasma can be separated into cryoprecipitate 49 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: called cryo for short, which helps control the risk of 50 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: bleeding by helping blood to clot. The red blood cells, plasma, 51 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: and platelets are then heat sealed in bags to ensure 52 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: they remain sterile, and the components are stored while they 53 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: wait for their test results. Plasma and cryo contain proteins 54 00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 1: that are pretty stable, so they can be frozen for 55 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: up to time a year at negative twenty seven degrees 56 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: fahrenheit that's negative thirty three celsius. Red cells are more 57 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: delicate and have to be refrigerated, but can be kept 58 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:10,239 Speaker 1: for up to forty two days as long as they're 59 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: held at forty two degrees fahrenheit that's six degrees celsius. 60 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: Platelets must be used within five days and are stored 61 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: at room temperature in agitators that rock them back and 62 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: forth until they are transfused into a patient. Through all 63 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: of this, the blood processing center is still tracking the donation, 64 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: including manufacturing data, what centrifuge was used to separate the blood, 65 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: and what time the work was performed. Once they get 66 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: an okay on the blood tests from the lab, the 67 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: components are ready to be deployed. They print labels with 68 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: information including the blood type and expiration dates, which they 69 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: then affix to the bags. If the blood is deemed 70 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: unsafe during the testing, it's tagged with a discard label 71 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: to complete the tracking cycle. When a hospital or treatment 72 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: center places an order for blood or plasma, the components 73 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: are shipped off in temperature safe boxes. When they arrive, 74 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: the medical staff double checks them for safety, and finally 75 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: they're ready to be transfused into the patient who needs them. 76 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: The entire donation to shipping process can take up to 77 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: three days, which doesn't seem like a long time until 78 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: there's a major disaster or blood shortage. The American Red 79 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: Cross says blood supply usually can't keep up with demand 80 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 1: because only about three percent of people eligible to donate 81 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:21,600 Speaker 1: actually do. That's why it's such a boon to donate 82 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: if you can, especially if you're a universal donor with 83 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 1: type O negative blood. This can be transfused into any 84 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: patient with any blood type. The American Red Cross estimates 85 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:33,239 Speaker 1: that about forty five percent of people in the US 86 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: have type OH blood, but the overwhelming majority of those 87 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: people are OH positive, which is lucky for them because 88 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,600 Speaker 1: it means that donated components are more likely to match 89 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: their common type, but it also means that just seven 90 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: percent of people are type O negative that universal donor. 91 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 2: Today's episode is based on the article what Happens to 92 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 2: Blood Once You Donate It on housetiff works dot com, 93 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 2: written by Shelley Dancy. Brain Stuff is production of by 94 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 2: Heart Radio in partnership with how stuffworks dot com, and 95 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 2: it's produced by Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts my heart Radio, 96 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 2: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 97 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:12,359 Speaker 2: to your favorite shows.