Thee need for blood is great. On a daily average, there is 38 000 units of red blood cells needed. The needs vary great ranging from trauma victims, surgery assistance, transfusions and diseases such as leukemia.

There are many products withdrawn or manufactured from the blood, these include red blood cells, platelets, plasma, cryoprecipitated AHF, granulocytes, albumin, immune globulin etc.

How is donated blood used:

Red cells

After the donation Red cells can stay stored under refrigeration for a maximum of 42 days, or they can be frozen for up to 10 years. The main function of a red cell is to transport oxygen from the lungs to the cells and to remove waste products such as carbon dioxide.

Red cells help patients who need to be able to carry more oxygen, RBCs are also used to treat anemia (the most common form is iron deficiency, lack of red...