Jaime Lewis (Host): You've probably heard requests for volunteers to donate blood to your local blood bank, but do you really understand why donating blood is important? We're here to talk about the basics of blood donation with Dr. Ryan Johnson, Medical Director of Transfusion Services for WakeMed. He'll share the why behind donating blood, who it helps, and how to get started if you're interested in participating in this impactful and necessary service.

 I'm Jaime Lewis, and this is WakeMed Voices, a podcast brought to you by WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, North Carolina. Dr. Johnson, thank you for coming on the podcast.

Ryan Johnson, MD: Yeah, thank you for having me. I look forward to this opportunity to discuss blood transfusions and blood donations.

Host: Okay. What does a Medical Director of Transfusion Services like you do?

Ryan Johnson, MD: So, the Transfusion Services Department is essentially the final destination for donated blood products. And our job here is to ensure at the hospital that we give the right blood product for the right patient, at the right time. So we continue to ensure the continued integrity of blood products received from our blood supplier and maintain that integrity during storage and transport between our hospitals.

We ensure that patients have been tested and blood products have been retested to ensure compatibility between the donor blood product and the patient who's going to receive it. We collaborate with bedside providers to evaluate patients before and after their blood transfusions to ensure ongoing patient safety.

And the transfusion services team typically consists of a set of laboratory scientists as well as a supervisor, a manager, and a medical director. So most of my daily interactions are with our team as well as with our physician providers.

Host: Let's say that I am interested in donating. Why should I donate?

Ryan Johnson, MD: Yeah, so, the U.S. system here in the United States, it's entirely dependent on volunteer donors for our blood supply. There's millions of units of blood transfused nationwide, originating from someone volunteering their time and their blood. And currently, or even in the foreseeable future, there's no medical technology to replace the donated blood that we transfuse.

Our stored blood that we get, doesn't last forever, there's a shelf life on all of our products, and so we value all of our donors and all of our donor blood products. I think the best thing for the donor is you get to learn a little bit about yourself, what your blood type is, and whether or not you have a rare or special blood type that makes you an even more coveted donor.

Some individuals decide to become donors when they learn that they're a unique blood type, maybe even when directing a blood donation for a specific family member of theirs. We have a rare blood donor program for those with exceptionally uncommon blood to be transfused to patients who are difficult to match, but before we know about whether or not you're could be in that program, even though, about 60 percent of the population is eligible to donate, only actually about 3 percent of that population donates blood each year.

So blood donors are really our true heroes. We're always in need of our donors, including, our recurrent donors for maintaining our blood supply in our hospitals.

Host: And who does my donated blood go to?

Ryan Johnson, MD: So, approximately, I'd say about a quarter of all of our blood supply serves as life saving transfusions for patients who are battling cancer and have low blood counts, if they have a low red cell count or a low platelet count. You may have patients who sustained a motor vehicle crash or other significant trauma, and they may require multiple rounds of blood products in order to be stabilized.

In our area of North Carolina specifically, sickle cell disease is relatively common, and patients may require periodic transfusions or may need red blood cell exchanges to remove their sickling red blood cells if they have sickle cell crisis. And in addition, hospitalized patients for other reasons may need blood.

Blood transfusion is typically the second most common hospital procedure in those 65 and older, and generally in the top five of hospital procedures for other age groups.

Host: If I sit down to do a blood donation through a blood drive, how many patients am I able to help out with my blood donation?

Ryan Johnson, MD: Yeah, so typically up to two to three patients can benefit from the blood that you donate, given the fact that we can, divide that into different various blood components. Whole blood is made of red blood cells, platelets, and plasma and clotting factors, from each donation you provide. Some of our whole blood donations are from donors who are Group O, and they may be kept as whole blood in our trauma departments to transfuse and stabilize a single patient who sustained a life threatening trauma event. For instance, at Wakemed, we are a Level 1 trauma department here at Raleigh, and we carry whole blood here.

Host: What can you say is a common misconception about blood donation?

Ryan Johnson, MD: I think the two biggest ones are that blood donation takes a long time or it's very inconvenient or the second would be that people believe that they are likely not eligible to donate and neither of these could be further from the truth.

Host: Okay, let's talk process. So how do you get started with the process of donating blood? I mean, how simple is it?

Ryan Johnson, MD: So it's actually quite easy. So first you'd fill out a standardized questionnaire about your personal history, including recent medications, history of any recent illnesses and travel history. And this step can actually be done on website or even on an app on your phone. The second step is that you're evaluated by a medical staff member who will take your blood pressure as well as your temperature, assess your hemoglobin level with a finger prick and confirm the answers you provided on the questionnaire.

And if it was determined that you're eligible, based on your current health and your history, then you can sit in a recliner where a phlebotomist will monitor you while you give your blood donation. The last part, actually takes only about 15 minutes, and overall, you should schedule about one hour to about an hour and a quarter.

In fact, I donated today, and from start to finish, it was about 45 minutes, including taking time for a 15 minute snack at the end.

Host: Snacks involved for 15 minutes. I think that's pretty worthwhile for me anyway. How do I prepare for that day that I plan to donate?

Ryan Johnson, MD: Yeah, so on that note, you know, it's important that you're very well nourished and very well hydrated, that day. So you should have a healthy meal prior to your donation period. If your last meal was multiple hours prior, have a healthy snack with something with simple sugars in it, such as fruit or crackers, with water or other similar items. And it's very important to drink plenty of fluids and stay nourished after you donate, as well.

Host: Is there a specific time that I can donate blood?

Ryan Johnson, MD: You can generally donate any day of the week. Most blood donation centers are open seven days a week. Most have their donation hours posted online, or you can simply walk in and check at the front desk to see, if they're available to, provide a donation. A lot of donation centers also have mobile bus units where you can donate. And these events are generally coordinated with colleges, hospitals, fire and police departments, among other businesses, so you can check on your local blood donation website for information about that.

Host: Okay, what's in it for me if I donate?

Ryan Johnson, MD: So in the U.S. we rely on a volunteer donor pool, so blood suppliers can't give any substantial gifts or enumerations for blood donated. Sometimes donation centers will give a small token of appreciation in the form of a gift card, t-shirt, or similar item. I would say that the major satisfaction to derive from donation is knowing that you took time out of your day to selflessly and essentially anonymously help other patients who need blood when they're in the hospital or they're on their way to the hospital.

Host: When can a person get back to their usual activities after donating?

 Essentailly right away.

Ryan Johnson, MD: So you can generally resume normal activity like driving or returning to work right away. You should avoid really strenuous activity like heavy lifting or heavy exercise the remainder of the day after your donation.

Host: Okay, and how often am I eligible to donate if I want to become a repeat donor?

Ryan Johnson, MD: So for whole blood donations, which is most walk in donations, if you're otherwise healthy, you can generally donate every eight weeks or six to seven times per year. If you're scheduled for platelet or plasma donations, you may be eligible to donate once weekly, potentially up to around 20 times per year.

Host: Is there a blood shortage right now?

Ryan Johnson, MD: Yes, so, periodically, but especially around the holiday season, including this specific month of January and the summer months, we experience blood shortages that can impact the regional and national blood supply. So now is typically a critical time to be a blood donor. It's important to think about becoming a regular donor also, especially if you happen to be an uncommon blood type, like group O negative, which can often be in short supply.

Host: Well, Doctor, I'm willing to bet you've just inspired quite a few people to donate blood, so thank you for your time.

Ryan Johnson, MD: Yes. Thank you. And I'd like to give a heartfelt thank you to all of our ongoing donors and those who decide to donate blood for the first time after listening to this podcast. So thank you again.

Host: Absolutely. I'm Jaime Lewis with WakeMed Voices, brought to you by WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, North Carolina. To learn more about WakeMed services, including upcoming blood drives, please visit wakemed.org.