Education Center
Welcome to the education center. Here you can learn about your blood type and which blood component you should donate, why blood is important for medical treatments, how much blood can be needed to treat certain conditions and much more. We hope you leave here with a better understanding of the gift you hold.
Blood Usage
Blood is a vital tool in contemporary medicine. Without it, doctors would not be able to treat injury or disease as effectively as they can. Below is just a small sample of how much blood may be used to treat different medical conditions.*
| Medical Need | Red Blood Cells | Platelets | Plasma |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident Victim | 4-100 units | - | - |
| Kidney Transplant | 2 units | - | - |
| Premature Baby | 1-4 units while in intensive care | - | - |
| Liver Transplant | 10 units | 2-6 units | 20 units |
| Cancer/Leukemia Treatment | 10-20 units for the treatment course | 10-50 units for the treatment course | - |
| Heart Transplant | 4-6 units | - | - |
| Sickle Cell Anemia | 10-15 units periodically severe complications | - | - |
| Adult Open Heart Surgery | 2-6 units | 2-4 units | 2-4 units |
| Bone Marrow Transplant | 10-20 units for the treatment course | 10-50 units for the treatment course | - |
| Severe Burns* | - | - | 8 units |
* Depending on the severity, the ranges above can widely vary. A unit is approximately one pint of blood.