~ Blood donation and blood usage in Sint Maarten. How can we help? ~
National MOTTEP (National Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program) declared August 1 as "National Minority Organ Donor Awareness Day." The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about organ donations and to increase the number of minority Americans who donate organs and tissue, such as kidneys and bone marrow. Nurse Jasmien Cijntje, Supervisor Outpatient Department at St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) answered questions and shared information about the possibility of blood donations and blood usage in SMMC.
When persons are in need of an organ or tissue, they have to be placed on a donor list. Because they have to live within a certain distance from a big hospital where the operation can be performed, they often have to move to the Netherlands or the United States. Sometimes it takes up to a year before a person can receive an organ donation. On the island, there is no possibility to donate organs. Due to re-organizing, the local blood bank is currently not accepting blood donors. This will change in the near future. In the mean time, the blood bank's supply is replenished with blood from Blood Bank Netherlands Antilles (located in Curaçao). While it is not possible to donate organs, it is still important for the community to be aware of the need for donation of blood, bone marrow and other organs.
About blood donation
When persons donate blood or organs, they get a sense of responsibility and are happy that with their donations they can save someone's life. Being a donor also encourages the person to keep up a healthy lifestyle. Some donors will experience bruises on the site where the needle was inserted or may feel faint when they are giving blood, but in general donating blood is safe.
A blood donation occurs when a healthy person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for transfusions or made into medications by a process called fractionation. In the Dutch system, donating blood is voluntary and therefore donors are not paid to donate blood.
Before blood is drawn, donors are tested for diseases including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. A complete physical exam is carried and questions about one's lifestyle are asked. This is one of the reasons a blood bank preferably looks for repeat donors. Repeat donors create a sense of trust and safety; however, they still have to be screened thoroughly every time before they donate blood. On the island, blood transfusions (giving blood to a patient) are done often. The usages of blood depend on the medical situation of the patient (the acceptor).
About blood storage and use
After blood is collected from the donor, it is processed and the different components of blood are separated. The blood components are red cells (erythrocytes), white cells (leucocytes), platelets (trombocytes) and plasma. When the blood is processed, the different components are collected in different bags, labelled, tagged and stored. Every blood component has an expiration date which starts from the time of collection. Red blood cells are called packed cells and have a storage date of 25-30 days. Platelets have to be given to a patient within 24- 36 hours of collection. Plasma can be stored up to a year once it is kept under a special temperature. When the blood is not used and is expired, it is given to the laboratory that uses it to culture bacteria.
About blood groups
Every person has a unique blood group. The different blood groups are A or B or O. A person that has the blood group O negative is called a universal donor because he can give blood to all types of blood groups. Blood group O negative is very rare. A patient that has a blood group AB is called a universal acceptor because he can get any blood group. Blood plasma is given to patients that are in need of a large quantity of blood liquid and/or have coagulation issue. In SMMC only AB plasma is stored. This is because it can be given to any blood group.
Making a donation
Before organs, blood or tissues are given to patients, the patient and the organ or blood is tested for compatibility. This means the organ or blood from the donor and the one from the patient have to be a perfect match. Patients in need of an organ transplant are more likely to find a genetically compatible match within their own racial/ethnic group.
Donating blood and organs is very important. Due to our geographic location, it is still not possible to donate organs. However, the community is encouraged to be blood donors. Being a donor makes you feel good to save lives and motivates you to keep up a healthy life style. As a donor, you can get free check ups/physical exams regularly.
All blood types are needed on a daily basis and therefore blood donors are always needed. Persons with the blood type O negative are high in demand world-wide and are always encouraged to be blood donors. In the meantime, keep looking in this newspaper to see when SMMC will be ready to accept blood donors again. One can also contact the blood bank SMMC for more information on this subject.
