Table of Contents
- 1 Can you donate blood if you have high hematocrit?
- 2 Does donating platelets lower hematocrit?
- 3 Why does Dehydration cause high hematocrit?
- 4 What happens if my hematocrit is low after donating blood?
- 5 Why is hemathemoglobin checked before donating blood?
- 6 How many times can you donate blood in a year?
Can you donate blood if you have high hematocrit?
Blood donors must have a minimum of 12.5 g/dL hemoglobin or a hematocrit of 38\% to be accepted for donation. The hematocrit is a measure of the volume that red blood cells take up in the blood.
Does donating platelets lower hematocrit?
Other studies that analyzed the effect of platelet donation by apheresis showed a decrease in the studied values, such as the report by Das10, which found reductions in hematocrit (2.1\%) and hemoglobin (1.3 g/dL), and Kim11, whose study resulted in a decrease of hemoglobin between 0.3 and 0.7 g/dL.
How does hematocrit affect plasma donation?
Blood is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. The purpose of having a cut-off for minimal acceptable hematocrit is to protect donors from becoming anemic (meaning their red blood cell levels are lower than normal) from donating blood.
Why does Dehydration cause high hematocrit?
In some cases, dehydration causes polycythemia. When a person does not drink enough, their plasma levels drop, and this increases the proportion of red blood cells in their blood volume.
What happens if my hematocrit is low after donating blood?
When you make a donation, it removes red blood cells and iron from your body. We always make sure you have enough red blood cells to donate safely. If you are deferred for a low hematocrit, don’t worry—it is usually temporary, and you’ll likely be able to donate again soon.
What is a normal hematocrit and why is it important?
Hematocrit is the percentage of red blood cells in your blood. For men, a normal hematocrit is in the range of 39-54\%; for women, 38-54\%. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. When you make a donation, it removes red blood cells and iron from your body. We always make sure you have enough red blood cells to donate safely.
Why is hemathemoglobin checked before donating blood?
Hemoglobin is checked before each blood donation. This is to ensure that the donor has adequate red blood cell levels to donate blood. Blood donors must have a minimum of 12.5 g/dL hemoglobin but no greater than 20 g/dL.
How many times can you donate blood in a year?
For some people, frequent donation (three or more times a year for men; two or more times a year for women) can sometimes result in iron deficiency. We strongly urge regular and frequent donors to consider extra measures to rebuild your iron stores after every whole blood or red cell donation.