Blood Donors: The Past and the Present

With blood donation, a person gives his blood to save a life. There are different types of blood donation in the world: replacement, directed, professional, voluntary, non-remunerated, and anonymous. In order to ensure maximum safety for both the blood donor and the recipient, the safest form of blood donation in the world is voluntary, non-remunerated, and anonymous. In this type of blood donation, the donor gives his or her blood for altruistic reasons; the blood is tested for various diseases; and no direct or hidden payment is received in return. In the past, as today, there were strict criteria for blood donation. A donor questionnaire, an interview, additional answers about the donor’s lifestyle and health, observations of the donor’s general appearance and general health, and laboratory results give insight into the donor’s past and present health, which are important for deciding whether the donor meets the strict criteria for blood donation. In the past, different amounts for blood donation were in effect. In order to ensure blood regeneration and to ensure that health is not harmed, it has been accepted over time that the standard volume of a whole blood donation (excluding anticollagulants) should not exceed 500 mL and usually consists of a donation of 450 mL ± 10%. According to European standards, blood donors of both sexes may donate blood between the ages of 18 and 65. Hemoglobin should not be lower than 125 g/L for women and 135 g/L for men. It is worth mentioning that there are various organizations around the world working for the safe promotion of blood donation and the safe handling of blood and blood products.