With almost 700 highly-trained staff, the American Red Cross Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region schedules about 30 community blood drives every day and operates several, convenient blood donation centers, serving 120 hospitals in 122 counties.
It all begins with collecting blood. That’s why we are counting on you to make a difference. After you complete your blood donation with the Red Cross, the process of handling, utilizing and caring for your blood donation begins. From the donation site, blood will be carefully packed and transported in special coolers to the Missouri-Illinois Region’s headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri.
Blood Processing
During processing, Red Cross employees begin the preliminary stages of caring for your blood. Laboratory technicians prepare sample test tubes of your blood for daily shipments to the American Red Cross National Testing Laboratory, located in St. Louis.
Not a single blood product is released to the hospitals until test results are completed, usually within 24 hours. While awaiting test results, Red Cross employees begin the process of separating your whole blood donation into its separate components—red blood cells, platelets and plasma—all of which can help save a life.
Red Blood Cells
Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a complex iron-containing protein that carries oxygen through the body and gives blood its red color.
Patients who benefit most from transfusions of red blood cells include those with chronic anemia, malignancies, gastrointestinal bleeding and those with acute blood loss resulting from trauma.
Once red blood cells are separated from a whole blood unit, a preservative solution is added to the cells to prolong their life. The unit is placed in a refrigerator where temperature is carefully monitored.
White Blood Cells
Leukoreduction is a process where leukocytes (white blood cells) are removed from the red blood cells. While helpful in fighting off infection in one's own bloodstream, transfused leukocytes are not well tolerated by a recipient of a blood transfusion and have been associated with some types of transfusion complications.
Platelets
Platelets are small blood cells that help with the clotting process by sticking to the lining of the damaged blood vessels. Platelets help to prevent massive blood loss and blood vessel leakage resulting from trauma. They are also vital to many cancer patients and those suffering from blood disorders.
Plasma
Plasma is obtained by separating the liquid portion of blood from the cells. Plasma serves a variety of functions, from maintaining a satisfactory blood pressure and volume, to supplying critical proteins for blood clotting and immunity. It is transfused for severe liver disease or other causes of clotting deficiencies.
Shelf Life
Red blood cells are kept refrigerated and have a shelf life of 42 days. Platelets are stored at room temperature for up to five days. Plasma is stored frozen and has a shelf life of one year.
Hospital Need
After test results are received and components have passed all testing and screening procedures, each unit is labeled and made available for distribution to area hospitals. The Red Cross coordinates blood supplies with hospitals in the Missouri-Illinois Region 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to ensure each hospital has an adequate supply of blood and blood products to meet the needs of patients.