Blood centers affiliated with the national organization America's Blood Centers (KBC is a member)
collected more than 7.5 million units of whole blood in 2008 – that's nearly half of the U.S. blood supply
as well as 25% of the Canadian blood supply.
Corporate blood drives are ABC members' largest source of blood donations, followed by schools,
civic groups and the faith community. (America's Blood Centers: Donor Demographics Survey 2003)
About 14 million units of whole blood are donated each year.
A red blood cell is 7 to 8 microns in size. A micron is one-millionth of a meter.
The average life span of a single red blood cell circulating in the human body is roughly 120
days.
55% of your blood is composed of the
liquid known as plasma.
The actual blood
donation process usually takes about 10 minutes.
One pint of whole blood can help save as many as 3 lives.
More than 40,000 pints of donated blood used each day in the U.S. and Canada.
37 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood – less than 10 percent do annually.
About 1 in 7 people entering a hospital need blood.
Healthy adults who are at least 17 years old (16 in Kentucky with parental consent), and weigh
at least 110 pounds may donate blood every 56 days, or every two months.
42 days: how long most donated red blood cells can be stored.
Five days: how long most donated platelets can be stored.
2.7 pints: the average whole blood and red blood cell transfusion.
Sickle cell disease is an inherited disease that affects more than 80,000 people in the United
States, 98 percent of whom are of African descent.
The average blood donor gives about twice a year.
46.5 gallons: amount of blood you could donate if you begin at age 17 and donate every 56
days until you reach 79 years old.
10 - 12 pints: amount of blood in the human body.
One unit of whole blood is roughly the equivalent of one pint.
Blood makes up about 7 percent of your body's weight.
4.5 Million Americans will need a blood transfusion each year.
Blood travels through about 60,000 miles of vessels.
