Donating blood is a charitable act that can help many people in the world. The requirements to donate blood in Colombia they are the basic ones in the world, since they include that the person must be healthy and comply with certain rules of food, personal care and blood type.
The Colombian Red Cross is the health institution that handles these processes to a greater extent. However, hospitals, clinics and laboratories are constantly looking for donors, as there are usually patients who need transfusions of a certain type of blood.
In case you want to help patients who need it but have doubts about how to do it, in the following article we will tell you everything you need to know to donate blood. Here you will find information about the procedure, the basic requirements you need, the documents that can be requested and all the benefits of this process.
What are the requirements to donate blood in Colombia?
The companies that carry out blood donations have made it clear that not everyone can be a donor. In order to contribute to these institutions and to the patients who need donations, you must meet certain requirements, which make up the profile of an average donor.
Taking into account the above, the basic list of requirements to donate blood in Colombia is as follows:
- Be in an age range between 18 and 65 years.
- Weigh more than 50 Kg.
- Have a body mass index greater than 19.
- Wait at least four months from the last donation.
- Not having sexually transmitted diseases.
- Do not suffer from cancer or any disease of the heart or lungs.
- Never have contracted malaria, chagas disease, or leishmaniasis.
- Not having surgery or transfusions in the last year.
- Not getting tattoos in the last 12 months.
- Eat some food before donating.
- Not having undergone dental procedures in the last week.
- Not being treated with antivirals or antibiotics.
As you can see, these requirements are very specific, since the profile of a donor must be ideal. In this way it is ensured that the patient receives good treatment and that the transfusion does not worsen his condition with other diseases.
In addition to the basic requirements of weight and body mass index, before thinking about being a donor, carefully review the diseases that prevent it. In case you have suffered from any, you cannot donate, since your profile is not suitable and it can generate more complications for patients.
Finally, a requirement to donate is knowing your blood type. Remember that you can only do transfusions between compatible groups, so it is important that you know yours and can go if someone needs it.
Documents needed to donate blood
If you meet all the requirements to donate blood and you are concerned about the documents to bring, you should know that in Colombia you can donate only presenting the identity document.
That is, you can go to the health center that requests the donation, present your identity card and donate. Remember that it is very important that you really meet the requirements that were mentioned above.
Process
The procedure for donating blood is a series of general steps. In any country you want to donate, including Colombia, the steps to follow to become a donor will be the same.
Particularly, in Colombia the recommendations that you will see They are controlled by the National Blood Bank and the Red Cross. This is the entity in charge of supervising all the details that, in one way or another, include the blood donation processes in the country.
Although the laboratory, clinic or hospital where you donate will comment on the process, you may want to read it before going to the place. Therefore, keep in mind that the first step begins with you, since you must make sure to eat something before the donation.
When you get to the place where you will donate, you must hand over your identity document. The first thing they will do is verify it, which will lead you to sign a form to complete the legality of the process.
The medical staff should then take the vital signs, temperature and blood pressure. Hemoglobin levels are then measured, which allows the donor’s level of health to be determined.
Once all this is done, the blood extraction process begins. This lasts about seven or eight minutes and the amount of blood is usually about 450 ml, although if this varies, they will tell you beforehand.
After you have made the donation it is important that you follow the recommendations of the medical staff. The general guidelines are usually to eat the snack, do not get too upset and maintain a calm profile for a few hours.
In this way, your blood donation will be complete and you will have helped a patient in need. As you can see, this is a very simple process, it does not take much time and it does not affect your subsequent activities.
Profits
Many people believe false myths about donating blood, including the belief that this process weakens the body. On the contrary, the process of donating blood has many benefits and can help both the donor and the patient in many ways.
In general, the benefits of donating blood for donors are as follows:
- By donating blood, your organs receive new blood, which strengthens the body and improves your resistance to some pathogens.
- New cells and red blood cells are produced that carry cooler oxygen.
- Helps blood flow by less damaging blood flow to vessels.
- It reduces the chances of suffering from heart attacks or cardiovascular accidents.
- By improving the circulation process, greater oxygenation of the body’s tissues is generated.
On the other hand, patients who receive the donation usually need it to:
- Solve problems of blood insufficiency, that is, inability to produce enough blood.
- Overcome any surgery or organ transplant.
- Be able to deal with burns or injuries caused by car accidents.
Cancer patients are among the most common recipients of blood donations. This is because chemotherapy often affects the bone marrow’s ability to make blood, leading to blood failure.
Who cannot donate blood in Colombia?
People who cannot donate blood in Colombia are those who do not meet the basic requirements that we already mentioned. This is because they are people who represent a certain danger to patients, since their profile is not suitable.
It is advisable for all those who want to donate blood to review the requirements before, since this way they avoid being rejected in the donation. In addition to avoiding a bad time, doing this streamlines the processes of medical staff to find donors whose profile is valid.
In general, those citizens who cannot donate are the minors and those over 65 years of age. Within the accepted range, those who weigh less than 50KG or who have a body mass index less than 19 will not be able to donate.
Regarding diseases, no citizen can become a donor if he or she suffered from a sexually transmitted disease, heart or lung. This detail is very important, since this type of person represents the greatest risk for the patients who will receive the donation.
Sites in Colombia to Donate Blood
In Colombia you can donate blood in any health center that needs it, including hospitals, clinics and laboratories. In general, they are the ones who make the announcements, as patients usually arrive who need a donor of their respective blood type for a donation.
Likewise, the Colombian Blood Bank has several offices in the country where you can donate blood during business hours. These donations they are not made for a specific patient, rather, the institution is in charge of providing it to those who need it.
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