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Despite miraculous advancements in medicine, there is no substitute for human blood. The need for blood products can occur in persons of all ages; from the management of hematologic disorders in newborns or premature infants, to the elderly population. With the aging population the demand for blood products is likely to increase, since management of illnesses that strike the elderly often requires extensive blood product support.
For patients in our community, an irreplaceable component of many advances in medical and surgical therapy has been the highly specialized blood products prepared by Central Blood Bank. A stable blood supply is vital at all times to ensure excellence in the delivery of health care in our region.
Central Blood Bank is responsible for the recruitment, collection, component manufacturing, testing, product management, and hospital customer relationships in our region. Approximately 50% of our units of blood is collected at 27 community donor centers conveniently located throughout our region, while the other 50% is collected on 14 mobile operations providing on-site collections at corporations, educational facilities, religious and civic organizations, and health care institutions.
Recruitment. Donor appointments are scheduled at the community donor centers by our Customer Contact Center Representatives. More than 600 daily appointments must be scheduled to ensure an adequate blood supply for area patients in need of transfusions.
A team of Business Development Representatives assist blood drive coordinators from each of our group accounts in the planning, organizing, and execution of more than 200 on-site mobile collection initiatives each month.
Our Rescheduling Program offers donors the opportunity to schedule their next lifesaving appointment at the time of their current donation. This allows donors to secure a convenient date and time for their donations.
Collection. Central Blood Bank has 27 community donor centers conveniently located throughout western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia with day, evening, and weekend appointments available.
All centers accept whole blood donations, autologous donations (donating blood
for your own surgery), and directed donations (donating for a specific blood
recipient). Eight centers offer automated collection opportunities for red cell,
platelet, and plasma donations. Appointments can be made online, by phone, or at
the time of your donation for future visits.
Central Blood Bank also offers the ability to donate blood in the community
through our mobile operations. Fourteen mobile teams are available daily,
visiting businesses, schools, churches, and community groups to provide access
to donate close to your home or workplace. Both whole blood and automated red
cell and plasma donations are available at our mobile blood drives.
The donation process includes the registration of demographic information, a
medical history interview to determine donor eligibility, a mini physical –
blood pressure, temperature, pulse, hemoglobin (iron) levels are taken – the
withdrawal of a unit of blood, and a 15-minute post-donation rest period. The
entire donation process is usually less than one hour.
Central Blood Bank is one of 76 regional blood centers participating in the
National Marrow Donor Program (link to national web site). The mission of the
National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) is to provide a registry of volunteer bone
marrow and peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donors in an effort to identify a
match for patients in need of a transplant. The NMDP partners with Central Blood
Bank to educate the community on the need, recruit participants to join the NMDP
Registry, and manage the process when a potential match between a donor and
recipient is identified.
Prospective blood donors can elect to join the National Marrow Donor Registry
(free of charge) by asking a Central Blood Bank representative at the time of
donation.
Manufacturing and Testing. Transfusion therapy requires the
administration of specific cellular elements, manufactured from a unit of whole
blood, for the treatment of hematological disorders. Whole blood provides the
raw material for the production of these cellular elements. One donation of
whole blood can save up to three lives.
Central Blood Bank separates whole blood donations primarily into red blood
cells, plasma, and platelets. This product separation maximizes whole blood
collections and optimizes the specific component needed for each hospital
patient. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin and serve to transport oxygen
through the blood stream and to the tissues. Red blood cells are used to treat
patients with anemia, trauma victims, and surgical patients undergoing
procedures with significant blood loss. Plasma is used as replacement therapy
for coagulation factor deficiencies. Platelets are active in the treatment of
patients who are bleeding. Platelets help seal breaks in small blood vessels and
activate the coagulation of blood.
Testing is performed for each type of donation, which includes but is not
limited to, blood type grouping, syphilis, various types of hepatitis, HIV
(AIDS), and West Nile virus. As transfusion transmissible viruses emerge, once
test kits are available Central Blood Bank implements these tests as required or
recommended by the FDA or AABB to maintain the safety of the blood supply.
Product Management. All blood products are perishable. Red blood cells
are stored at refrigeration temperature for a period of 35-42 days, dependent
upon the anticoagulant into which they have been drawn. Plasma is stored in a
frozen state for one year. Platelets are stored in a room temperature controlled
environment and require constant agitation for their five-day shelf life.
Central Blood Bank monitors inventory levels of each blood component, ensuring
that the hospitals we service maintain sufficient supplies to deliver quality
patient care. This department provides customer service, including distribution
of blood products and components to the Transfusion Service Departments of the
hospitals and health care facilities we serve. This service is available 24
hours a day, seven days a week.
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