- Canadian Blood Services (CBS) is a not-for-profit, charitable organization whose sole mission is to manage the blood and blood products supply for Canadians. - CBS is responsible for managing all aspects of Canada’s blood system and is dedicated to providing a safe, secure, cost-effective, affordable and accessible supply of quality blood, blood products and their alternatives. - CBS collects, tests and distributes blood and blood products such as plasma and platelets to all provinces except Quebec. - CBS also manages the Unrelated Bone Marrow Donor Registry through which it locates compatible, unrelated donors for bone marrow patients.

- Blood consists of specialized cells suspended in plasma and constantly circulates throughout the body. - Blood carries oxygen and nourishment to cells and removes waste products. - It supports the body's immune system and capacity to heal itself.

- Blood is comprised of several components. These components may be transfused separately or together to treat various conditions. Each donation of whole blood is separated into four main components: 1. Red Blood Cells carry oxygen to tissues and are responsible for removing carbon dioxide through the lungs. Red blood cells can be used to help accident victims, surgical patients and people with anemia. 2. Platelets provide the basis for clotting that helps control bleeding. Platelets can be used to treat leukemia and cancer patients. 3. Plasma is the liquid that cells are suspended in, containing many of the body's proteins that help fight infection and help clotting. It distributes nutrients to tissues and transports waste products to the lungs, liver and kidneys, which expel them. Plasma is effective in treating patients suffering from burns or shock. 4. White Blood Cells protect the body from infection, however, they often carry viruses and bacteria.

- Blood and blood products are a critical part of everyday medical care, such as major surgeries and other medical procedures. - Blood transfusions are a critical element of: - Organ transplants - Cancer therapy - Heart surgery - Treatment for anemia - Treatment for blood disorders - Resuscitation of trauma victims - Caring for premature infants - Did you know that blood has a shelf life? - Forty-two days for red blood cells - Thirty-five days for whole blood - Five days for platelets

Did you know that: -When a unit of blood is broken down into its different component, it can help save up to three lives.

Blood groups are determined by the presence or absence of proteins and sugars called antigens on the surface of your blood cells, as well as the proteins called antibodies in the plasma (fluid portion). Not all blood types are compatible. - There are four major blood groups O, A, B, and AB further divided into Rh Positive and Rh Negative: A (Rh Positive and Negative); O (Rh Positive and Negative); B (Rh Positive and Negative); AB (Rh Positive and Negative). - The most common blood type in Canada is O Positive (approximately 38 per cent of Canadians have O Positive blood). The rarest blood type is AB Negative (only about 1 per cent of Canadians have AB Negative blood). - People with O Negative blood are considered universal donors because patients of all blood types can receive O Negative blood - All blood types are needed.

- Different medical procedures require varying amounts of blood. For example: - Fractured hip/Joint replacement…2 to 5 units - Auto accident/Gunshot wound…up to 50 units - Cancer treatment may require up to 8 units per week - Brain surgery...4 to 10 units - Cardiovascular surgery...2 to 25 units - Liver transplant...up to 100 units - Count off the number of people in the room and show how much people would need to donate for a cardiovascular surgery, a liver transplant, or a gunshot wound.

Before being transfused, a unit of blood goes though several steps: - The donation is made under sterile conditions. Blood samples are taken for the purposes of testing. Needles are sterile and only used once. - Each unit is then separated into up to four components: red blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate. - All components are then stored at the appropriate temperature and conditions to optimize their quality and shelf life. - Hospital customers place orders for blood products. CBS laboratory staff monitor inventory levels of all products and fill the hospital orders as they arrive. - Hospitals then administer the blood to patients.

- Including time for screening, the process of making a blood donation normally takes about one hour. - The average amount of blood in an adult person is about five litres, or 10 pints. (Can show a 4 litre jug of milk as a visual) - There are approximately 450 ml of blood in one unit. - Your body replaces the plasma portion within hours, the platelet portion within days, and red blood cells in about 56 days, which is why blood donors can give every 56 days.

- You should be in general good health and feel well. You should have had something to eat and adequate sleep. You must also meet hemoglobin (iron) requirements – tests will be done at clinic. - At the time of donation, you will be asked a number of questions which you will need to answer truthfully in order for CBS to determine your eligibility. - Other eligibility factors apply and a full assessment of a donor's eligibility is conducted at the time of donation.

- Donors are required to feel well at the time of donation, therefore, a cold, flu or allergies may prevent someone from donating. - Donors must wait after having dental work done, before they can donate blood. This is to prevent the potential for micro-organisms to enter the blood creating the risk of a blood infection. The temporary deferral allows such an infection to become symptomatic. - Donors must wait 6 months after having a tattoo or body piercing before donating blood or bone marrow. The reason for this temporary deferral is the increased risk of Hepatitis C and other infections associated with tattoos and piercing.

Norfolk General Hospital and Canadian Blood Services Saving Lives Together Rev. MAR08

National, independent, not-for-profit charitable organization Mandate: to manage a safe, secure and accessible supply of blood and blood products for all Canadians Collects approximately 850,000 units of blood annually and processes it into the components and products that are administered to thousands of patients each year. Manages the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network whose mission is to secure, in an expeditious way, donors for Canadian bone marrow transplant patients and for patients abroad. Screens every donor and tests each unit of blood or blood product collected for a variety of transmissible diseases. Ensures that Canadian transfusion medicine research and development remains at the cutting edge.

Specialized cells suspended in plasma Constantly circulating throughout body Carries oxygen and nourishment to cells and removes waste products Supports body’s immune system and capacity to heal itself

Whole blood contains 4 main elements: Red blood cells – carry oxygen to tissue Platelets – used in coagulation (clotting) Plasma – maintains blood volume and blood pressure, and prevents excessive bleeding White blood cells – fight infection

Red cells – anemia patients, cancer patients, etc. Platelets – cancer patients,etc. Plasma –cancer, bone marrow therapy, etc.

Four major blood types: O, A, B and AB Further divided into Rh positive (+) and negative (-) Most common type in Canada: O+ (38%) Rarest is AB- (1%) O- is the universal blood type O and A blood groups are always in high demand but all are needed

Approximately every minute of every day 52% of Canadians say they or a family member have needed blood Emergencies Car accident victims require up to 50 units Surgeries Liver transplant patients require about 20, but maybe up to 100 units Ongoing treatment Cancer – 8 units per week

Giving blood only takes about one hour Average person has about 5 litres of blood or 10 pints Normal collection is one unit (about 1/2 litre) Your body soon replaces all the blood you donate Plasma – 48 hours Platelets – 6 to 7 days Red cells – 56 days Blood donors can give as often as every 56 days

You should be in good health and feel well You should have had something to eat and adequate sleep You must also meet hemoglobin (iron) requirements (test done at clinic) At the time of donation, you will be asked a number of questions to determine your eligibility

Save up to 3 lives by donating blood! Call 1 888 2 DONATE to make an appointment to save a life. Save a life today… www.blood.ca

Canadian Blood Services is proud to work with hundreds of corporations and community organizations including Norfolk General Hospital nationwide. If our blood system is to continue to be a success, we must spread the word that it belongs to everyone and we all have the responsibility to support it.

A sincere from all blood recipients!