The Need for Blood
The Fort Bragg Blood Donor Center provides the blood needed for patients in military hospitals worldwide in addition to providing support for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The donor center must collect a specific amount of units per month to ensure that blood is available for those in need.
There is no substitute for human blood. Blood and blood products are used for patients of all ages for many reasons. From those undergoing cancer treatments to surgical patients to those with battlefield injuries, military members depend on blood donors every day.
- Cancer
- Heart and blood vessel disease
- Disease of the gastrointestinal tract
- Emergencies such as car accidents and burns
- Heart Surgery - 6 units of blood, 6 units of platelets
- Organ Transplant - 40 units of blood, 30 units of platelets, 20 bags of cryoprecipitate, 25 units of fresh frozen plasma
- Marrow Transplant - 120 units of platelets, 20 units of blood
- Auto Accident/Injuries – Patients can use between one to 100 units of blood
- Blood Disorders (Anemia, Hemophilia) - People with blood diseases can use hundreds of units of blood throughout their lifetime
Donating blood is a safe and simple procedure. Deferral criteria have been established for the protection of those donating and those receiving transfusions in accordance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, AABB standards, and Department of Defense (DoD) policies.