What's the process of whole blood donation like?
October 27, 2023 9:01 AM Subscribe
How can you occupy yourself during a long whole-blood donation process?
I am thinking about joining the Red Cross's specialized donor program to donate whole blood. I'm told it's a 3-5 hour procedure using both arms and I'm mostly wondering what you DO for that long. How mobile are your arms? Can you, e.g., bring a laptop and gingerly try to do some work, or listen to audiobooks and actually access your phone to do so or stick a headphone back in if it falls out? Like, on a scale from 'arms are handcuffed to the chair' to 'walking around dragging an IV bag on a stand behind you,' what are we looking at? (Yes, I know you're not actually up and walking.)
More importantly, how do you avoid having to pee for half a day?
I am thinking about joining the Red Cross's specialized donor program to donate whole blood. I'm told it's a 3-5 hour procedure using both arms and I'm mostly wondering what you DO for that long. How mobile are your arms? Can you, e.g., bring a laptop and gingerly try to do some work, or listen to audiobooks and actually access your phone to do so or stick a headphone back in if it falls out? Like, on a scale from 'arms are handcuffed to the chair' to 'walking around dragging an IV bag on a stand behind you,' what are we looking at? (Yes, I know you're not actually up and walking.)
More importantly, how do you avoid having to pee for half a day?
Whole blood donation doesn't take long. The whole process — including filling in forms and waiting your turn — might take an hour, but my experience (with good veins) is that the actual donating takes about 6-10 minutes. Your donating arm is out of action.
What could take 3 - 5 hours is donating Leukopaks through the specialised donor program. Leukopaks are a collection of mononuclear cells, a type of white blood cell made by your body. The collection involves the insertion of a needle into each arm, blood is removed from one arm into a machine that separates the cells; the white blood cells are collected into a bag and the remaining portions of blood are returned to the donor through the needle in the opposite arm. You deal with peeing by limiting your fluid intake on the day of your appointment: Especially limit the intake of caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea or soft drinks.
posted by Klipspringer at 9:12 AM on October 27, 2023 [7 favorites]
What could take 3 - 5 hours is donating Leukopaks through the specialised donor program. Leukopaks are a collection of mononuclear cells, a type of white blood cell made by your body. The collection involves the insertion of a needle into each arm, blood is removed from one arm into a machine that separates the cells; the white blood cells are collected into a bag and the remaining portions of blood are returned to the donor through the needle in the opposite arm. You deal with peeing by limiting your fluid intake on the day of your appointment: Especially limit the intake of caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea or soft drinks.
posted by Klipspringer at 9:12 AM on October 27, 2023 [7 favorites]
Response by poster: Yes, Leukopaks, sorry.
posted by catesbie at 9:13 AM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by catesbie at 9:13 AM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
You have large bore IVs in the antecubital area of each arm (the inside of your elbow). These are typically needles, not the catheter-over-needle setup for a longer term IV. Because of that, you shouldn't be moving your arms much (and the sharp, rigid needle can remind you of that if you do). When I've done this I watched movies, mostly. You can move your arms a bit, but with very limited elbow movement.
I guess it's closer to "handcuffed to a chair". The staff will check in frequently to see if you need anything.
posted by Pantengliopoli at 9:26 AM on October 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
I guess it's closer to "handcuffed to a chair". The staff will check in frequently to see if you need anything.
posted by Pantengliopoli at 9:26 AM on October 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Oh, hey, I was a dialysis patient for several years and it was a similar thing, sitting in a chair with your arms immobile for 4-5 hours. I watched an absolute crapton of movies on my iPad during sessions. Action movies seemed to work best for me -- fast-paced things like Mission Impossible and Bond movies. Wear headphones.
posted by mochapickle at 9:27 AM on October 27, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by mochapickle at 9:27 AM on October 27, 2023 [5 favorites]
(Also, dress for comfort!)
posted by mochapickle at 9:30 AM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mochapickle at 9:30 AM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
I haven’t donated Leukopaks but I do platelets, which is a couple of hours. Typically I watch Netflix or play games/surf the internet/read on my phone. I did the double arm donation once and hated it—never again. My nose kept itching and I had to ask someone to come scratch it for me. I couldn’t grab a drink of water if I was thirsty. Since then I’ve requested a single arm donation, which can take longer and potentially produce less product, but the process is much more tolerable for me because I can use one arm still.
My understanding is the single needle process goes in alternating phases of sucking out the blood and centrifuging and then returning it, so it takes longer, whereas the extraction and return are simultaneous with a double arm process. Despite the single arm process, I usually manage a triple donation in a single session (and if you download the Red Cross app it tells you which hospitals your blood was sent to!)
The phlebotomist last time I donated was really pushing the double needle thing, but I insisted, and they allowed me to do single needle in the end. Still resulted in a triple donation of platelets. It didn’t seem significantly shorter to do double needle donation, not half the time or anything like that, so it didn’t feel worth it to me. I would check with them if that’s an option if you’re concerned about comfort or boredom.
I usually drink plenty of liquids ahead of time to keep my blood flowing and then just pee right before getting in the chair, and hope for the best. Avoiding caffeine should help. I’ve never had to cut a donation short because of being unable to hold it, but they are willing to stop the donation process if needed (but I think the donation is kind of wasted in that case)
posted by music for skeletons at 9:53 AM on October 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
My understanding is the single needle process goes in alternating phases of sucking out the blood and centrifuging and then returning it, so it takes longer, whereas the extraction and return are simultaneous with a double arm process. Despite the single arm process, I usually manage a triple donation in a single session (and if you download the Red Cross app it tells you which hospitals your blood was sent to!)
The phlebotomist last time I donated was really pushing the double needle thing, but I insisted, and they allowed me to do single needle in the end. Still resulted in a triple donation of platelets. It didn’t seem significantly shorter to do double needle donation, not half the time or anything like that, so it didn’t feel worth it to me. I would check with them if that’s an option if you’re concerned about comfort or boredom.
I usually drink plenty of liquids ahead of time to keep my blood flowing and then just pee right before getting in the chair, and hope for the best. Avoiding caffeine should help. I’ve never had to cut a donation short because of being unable to hold it, but they are willing to stop the donation process if needed (but I think the donation is kind of wasted in that case)
posted by music for skeletons at 9:53 AM on October 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
I used to donate platelets regularly before the pandemic. (Honestly, I should get back to scheduling that again.)
Regular whole blood donation is 15-20 minutes in a chair, as mentioned above, then maybe another 10-15 minutes sitting down drinking juice and eating a cookie while they make sure you don't faint.
Platelet donation is longer, and depends on how much they take out from you. I apparently have a high platelet count, so they always ask me if I can do "three donations" which is 90-120 minutes. That is a single needle in one arm, so your other arm can move about but you reeeeeally don't want to shift the position of your torso or your arm with the needle in. It feels weird and could disrupt the draw-and-return process, extending your time in the chair. But you could for example hold your book/phone/iPad/whatever and control it one-handed.
Oh and don't try to nap in the chair no matter how comfy it is, it make the phleb techs nervous.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 10:35 AM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Regular whole blood donation is 15-20 minutes in a chair, as mentioned above, then maybe another 10-15 minutes sitting down drinking juice and eating a cookie while they make sure you don't faint.
Platelet donation is longer, and depends on how much they take out from you. I apparently have a high platelet count, so they always ask me if I can do "three donations" which is 90-120 minutes. That is a single needle in one arm, so your other arm can move about but you reeeeeally don't want to shift the position of your torso or your arm with the needle in. It feels weird and could disrupt the draw-and-return process, extending your time in the chair. But you could for example hold your book/phone/iPad/whatever and control it one-handed.
Oh and don't try to nap in the chair no matter how comfy it is, it make the phleb techs nervous.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 10:35 AM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Okay, thanks for all this. I got confused by the various donation types we had discussed - obviously 'whole blood' does mean the standard one-arm session, as it sounds like. Leukopak is what we were discussing. Intrigued by the possibility that you could do it with one arm instead - I will ask if they call me to donate.
posted by catesbie at 11:56 AM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by catesbie at 11:56 AM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'm an O-negative "universal" donor, so I do what they call "double-reds" donation, where they draw a total of two full blood units from me, keep the red blood cells, and return my plasma/liquids back through the same needle.
The way I understand it, the red cells can be recombined with other donors' plasma to provide two full units of blood, but without draining me to the same extent as if I had just given up two units of whole blood. I strongly suggest it if you are of a suitable blood type to be a candidate.
After the screening and being hooked up (needle in one arm, other hand is free to read a book or whatever), the whole process only takes about an hour, with the draw/return for each unit taking about 20-30 min. I usually spend it people-watching in the donor room and chatting up the blood tech, who checks in from time to time to see how the draw/return is going and intervenes occasionally if the machine is acting funky.
It's also pretty convenient from a scheduling standpoint because they only let you do it a maximum of three times a year, with 4 months between donations. I usually pick a Saturday/Sunday morning when I don't have anything big going on later, because there is definitely a short recovery period where you want to take it easy for a few hours.
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:17 PM on October 27, 2023
The way I understand it, the red cells can be recombined with other donors' plasma to provide two full units of blood, but without draining me to the same extent as if I had just given up two units of whole blood. I strongly suggest it if you are of a suitable blood type to be a candidate.
After the screening and being hooked up (needle in one arm, other hand is free to read a book or whatever), the whole process only takes about an hour, with the draw/return for each unit taking about 20-30 min. I usually spend it people-watching in the donor room and chatting up the blood tech, who checks in from time to time to see how the draw/return is going and intervenes occasionally if the machine is acting funky.
It's also pretty convenient from a scheduling standpoint because they only let you do it a maximum of three times a year, with 4 months between donations. I usually pick a Saturday/Sunday morning when I don't have anything big going on later, because there is definitely a short recovery period where you want to take it easy for a few hours.
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:17 PM on October 27, 2023
I've never done leukopak and I've only successfully given platelets once (tried a second time but it went... poorly) but one piece of advice I'd add that I haven't seen here is to keep warm! You'll need to wear short sleeves of course, but between sitting very still for a period of hours and the fact that they are taking your blood out of your body and then putting it back in at a lower-than-body temperature means it is easy to get cold. The people at the donation center will probably set you up with a heating pad and offer you warm hospital blankets. I'd also strongly recommend long soft pants - you don't want to be sticking to a vinyl chair for hours.
When I donated platelets, I found it very uncomfortable to move either arm. I think they were taking blood out of my right elbow-pit and putting it back in my left hand so one hand was mobile enough to tap on my phone or use a remote but it didn't feel great. The place where I donate does not do single-arm. If I do it again I'll be sure to have several hours worth of podcasts or TV queued up so that I have minimal buttons to click. If a headphone fell out I'd ask someone to put it back in rather than messing with it myself - reaching up to your ear with a needle in your arm is... eugh. Might be a good day to use over-ear headphones (and make sure everything's charged up!).
posted by mskyle at 1:30 PM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
When I donated platelets, I found it very uncomfortable to move either arm. I think they were taking blood out of my right elbow-pit and putting it back in my left hand so one hand was mobile enough to tap on my phone or use a remote but it didn't feel great. The place where I donate does not do single-arm. If I do it again I'll be sure to have several hours worth of podcasts or TV queued up so that I have minimal buttons to click. If a headphone fell out I'd ask someone to put it back in rather than messing with it myself - reaching up to your ear with a needle in your arm is... eugh. Might be a good day to use over-ear headphones (and make sure everything's charged up!).
posted by mskyle at 1:30 PM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
I find it too uncomfortable to press the buttons/swipe on a kindle when I have needles in both arms! If it's single-arm, totally doable.
posted by mskyle at 1:34 PM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mskyle at 1:34 PM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
This is when a paper magazine is useful. You can hold it in one hand and place it on your chest and turn the page with one hand. There is no penalty if it slips out of your grip and falls on the floor, vs. a device.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 1:59 PM on October 27, 2023
posted by Midnight Skulker at 1:59 PM on October 27, 2023
Also not specifically experienced with Leukopaks, but from my understanding most blood donation programs that don't take whole blood will return some of the liquid back to you. My experience is with the double-red donation where I get plasma back. This will make you feel colder than you might expect, and I recommend dressing warmly and asking for heat pads and/or blankets if you need it. If you start shivering you should absolutely let someone know.
In general I find arm movement uncomfortable if it's got a needle in it, and if you need a needle in both arms, then I'd definitely recommend entertainment that doesn't require more than small button pushes of a device already in your hand. Audio books are good for this as they don't require the donation facility to have special equipment, and I'd at least bring that as a backup along with headphones/earbuds. Many donor facilities have screens with DVD players attached and sometimes a selection of DVDs available to people that are doing lengthy donation sessions, so that can be an option, but I'd call ahead to make sure instead of relying on that.
One arm grants you a bit more flexibility, and if you're good at one-handed phone use then consider that an option, but it's usually easier to listen or watch something even then. I have a little elastic strap attached to my phone case that lets me slip a finger into it for a better one-handed grip, and I recommend looking into this if you want to do that.
As for the pee thing, definitely avoid drinking much leading up to it, and make sure to go right beforehand. I haven't done a 3-5 hour session, but at that length I might actually look into adult incontinence products just in case. Again, if this is something you want to do, I'd ask a lot of these questions to the organization handling the donation before going. They will have heard all of them before and should have answers for you.
Finally, if you decide this isn't the type of donation for you, that's okay. I hope you still donate blood products in other ways. Even whole blood is still very useful if you aren't able to handle the complications or time commitment for other types of donations.
posted by Aleyn at 6:06 PM on October 27, 2023
In general I find arm movement uncomfortable if it's got a needle in it, and if you need a needle in both arms, then I'd definitely recommend entertainment that doesn't require more than small button pushes of a device already in your hand. Audio books are good for this as they don't require the donation facility to have special equipment, and I'd at least bring that as a backup along with headphones/earbuds. Many donor facilities have screens with DVD players attached and sometimes a selection of DVDs available to people that are doing lengthy donation sessions, so that can be an option, but I'd call ahead to make sure instead of relying on that.
One arm grants you a bit more flexibility, and if you're good at one-handed phone use then consider that an option, but it's usually easier to listen or watch something even then. I have a little elastic strap attached to my phone case that lets me slip a finger into it for a better one-handed grip, and I recommend looking into this if you want to do that.
As for the pee thing, definitely avoid drinking much leading up to it, and make sure to go right beforehand. I haven't done a 3-5 hour session, but at that length I might actually look into adult incontinence products just in case. Again, if this is something you want to do, I'd ask a lot of these questions to the organization handling the donation before going. They will have heard all of them before and should have answers for you.
Finally, if you decide this isn't the type of donation for you, that's okay. I hope you still donate blood products in other ways. Even whole blood is still very useful if you aren't able to handle the complications or time commitment for other types of donations.
posted by Aleyn at 6:06 PM on October 27, 2023
Response by poster: Update! I did it! And it was fine! $350 to sit there for 3 hours watching a movie and making the poor sucker babysitting me replace my headphones every time they fell out because, man oh man, y'all were right - your arms are both IMMOBILE the whole time. I wasn't even comfortable gently pushing a key on my laptop.
My verdict: lucrative, not painful, very comfy, felt smug about doing a solid for science. My only regret is not picking a comedy to watch, because the absolute angel hanging out with me had no idea that "wiping this lady's tears" was gonna be part of his job description that day.
posted by catesbie at 11:36 AM on December 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
My verdict: lucrative, not painful, very comfy, felt smug about doing a solid for science. My only regret is not picking a comedy to watch, because the absolute angel hanging out with me had no idea that "wiping this lady's tears" was gonna be part of his job description that day.
posted by catesbie at 11:36 AM on December 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
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Is this some specialized form of blood donation that takes longer?
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 9:09 AM on October 27, 2023 [1 favorite]