Donating Blood

Donating Blood

Basic Donor Requirements

Be in good health.
Be 18 years or older (17-year-olds can donate with a Blood Bank of Hawaii consent form signed by a parent or legal guardian).
Weigh at least 110 pounds.
Have valid photo identification.

Before You Donate

Drink 8-10 glasses of water.
Keep your body hydrated in preparation for a loss in body fluid. Avoid coffee, alcohol or caffeinated beverages that dehydrate the body.
Get adequate rest.
Typically, you should get eight hours of sleep the night before your donation.
Eat a hearty meal.
Be sure to have a good breakfast in the morning of your donation and full meals throughout the day.
Include iron-rich foods in your diet.
An iron rich diet can help keep hemoglobin levels within an acceptable range for donating. Consistent, long-term consumption of meats, leafy green and/or other iron-rich foods is the key.
Know what countries you’ve traveled to and when.
In accordance with FDA regulations, donors may be deferred based on travel to areas exposed to vCJD (the human form of mad cow disease), malaria or other illnesses during specified time frames.
Know the medical conditions you have and the medications you’re taking.
For your safety and the safety of blood recipients, donors on certain medications may be deferred or required to wait before donating. Insulin treatments for diabetes are among the unaccepted medications.

The Donation Process
From registration to refreshments, the entire process of donating blood takes about an hour and includes the following six steps:

Paperwork
Each donor is given a questionnaire to fill out.
Mini physical
A Blood Bank of Hawaii staff member will check your blood pressure, pulse, temperature and hemoglobin level.
Confidential interview
A Blood Bank of Hawaii staff member will review your medical history with you.
Collection
The actual collection of blood takes only five to eight minutes. A new, sterile and disposable needle is used to draw one pint of your blood.
Rest
Remain seated for a few minutes. Drink lots of liquids to help replenish your fluids.
Eat
Be sure to have some refreshments before you leave and enjoy hearty meals throughout the day.

After You Donate

Drinking lots of fluids (eight 8-ounce glasses) will replace the fluid volume lost in less than a day, and proteins and plasma within 72 hours. Within six weeks your red blood cells are restored.
Eat a healthy, hearty meal.
Leave the bandage on your arm for at least four hours and avoid strenuous physical activity for 24 hours.
Avoid smoking for the next half hour and alcohol.
If you feel anything out of the ordinary after you leave the Blood Bank’s donor center or mobile, immediately lie down, then call the Blood Bank’s nursing services at 845-9966 ext. 739 for guidance.
If you get sick with a cold or flu in the next few days, please call us. If you don’t feel well, for the safety of the patient who may receive your blood, we will recall your pint of blood, if possible, and not use it.
If you have any reason to believe your blood may not be safe to give to another person, please call us immediately.
Only two percent of Hawaii’s people provide 100 percent of all the blood needed by Hawaii’s patients. Someone is counting on your next donation. You are eligible to donate again in eight weeks. Before you leave, please make an appointment.