There are fears that in the year of 2012 the United Kingdom will have a blood shortage, which may cause issues at the Olympic Games and other events, with "extra bank holidays leading to a drop in donations as most people give blood during the working week" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16338795).
Blood, after being taken from donors, is collected in plastic bags which "contain anticoagulents and other preservatives" (http://tinyurl.com/d7zfw2h). Anticoagulents are drugs used to thin out blood and stop it clotting (coagulating), therefore making it useable for transfusions. The bags that the blood is stored in have a "material that allows for diffusion of gasses permitting optimum cell preservation" (http://tinyurl.com/d7zfw2h).
Once it has been bagged and taken to where it is to be stored, it is then "tested for Hepatitis B and C, HIV as well as other infectious diseases" (http://tinyurl.com/d7zfw2h) to make sure it is fit for use. It is then "stored in a fridge for up to 42 days, or frozen for up to 10 years" (http://tinyurl.com/d7zfw2h).
This means that a huge volume of blood can be stocked. On the National Blood Service website (http://www.blood.co.uk/StockGraph/stocklevelstandard.aspx) there are a number of graphs to show the stocks that are donated daily and also the stocks in the whole country (except for blood held in hospitals).
So on the BBC News website there is a quote from NHS Blood and Transplant that we will need "2 million pints (1.1 million litres) of blood plus an extra supply for Olympic visitors" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16338795).
HRH Prince Phillip left Papworth Hospital yesterday morning and is home with his family.
Blood, after being taken from donors, is collected in plastic bags which "contain anticoagulents and other preservatives" (http://tinyurl.com/d7zfw2h). Anticoagulents are drugs used to thin out blood and stop it clotting (coagulating), therefore making it useable for transfusions. The bags that the blood is stored in have a "material that allows for diffusion of gasses permitting optimum cell preservation" (http://tinyurl.com/d7zfw2h).
Once it has been bagged and taken to where it is to be stored, it is then "tested for Hepatitis B and C, HIV as well as other infectious diseases" (http://tinyurl.com/d7zfw2h) to make sure it is fit for use. It is then "stored in a fridge for up to 42 days, or frozen for up to 10 years" (http://tinyurl.com/d7zfw2h).
This means that a huge volume of blood can be stocked. On the National Blood Service website (http://www.blood.co.uk/StockGraph/stocklevelstandard.aspx) there are a number of graphs to show the stocks that are donated daily and also the stocks in the whole country (except for blood held in hospitals).
So on the BBC News website there is a quote from NHS Blood and Transplant that we will need "2 million pints (1.1 million litres) of blood plus an extra supply for Olympic visitors" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16338795).
HRH Prince Phillip left Papworth Hospital yesterday morning and is home with his family.
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