More types of donation

Blood donation:

Blood donation consists on the blood extraction of a person for later injected it to another or to elaborate medicaments.

There are three types of methods; the regular, by apheresis and self transfusion. It is a medical procediment extremely needed because blood is uncreatable and after some time its components became unusable.

For example, red blood cells last 42 days, platelet between 5 and 7 days and the plasma over 3 years.

Also, there are 8 types of blood: A+, B+, AB+, 0+, A-, B-, AB-, 0- and not all of them are compatible between them. That’s why it is trascendental to have a range of different donors with their blood types.

Bone marrow donation:

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside some of the bones in the body, including the hip and thigh bones. It contains immature cells, called stem cells and makes more than 200 billion new blood cells every day.

Many people with blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, and other life-threatening diseases, rely on bone marrow. There are two types: red bone marrow known as myeloid tissue and yellow bone marrow or fatty tissue. Red bone marrow consists of a delicate, highly vascular fibrous tissue containing hematopoietic stem cells. These are blood-forming stem cells. On the other hand, yellow bone marrow contains mesenchymal stem cells, also known as marrow stromal cells. These produce fat, cartilage, and bone.

The extraction is done in a operating room and under anesthesia. Doctors use needles to withdraw liquid marrow from both sides of the back of the pelvic bone.

In Spain there is a register called REDMO with 391.609 volunteers available at national level that is used when there is a patient that needs a transplant and he or she doesn’t have someone compatible in his or her family.

Tissue donation:

Human tissue consists of cells within the body that are similar in appearance and have the same function. Donating tissue can dramatically improve the quality of life for others. Many kinds of tissue can be donated after death.

On the one hand, we have the possibility of donating the cornea. It is used to help recover the sight of people with problems of cornea caused by eye diseases, injuries or birth defects. Besides, heart valves can be transplanted to save the lives of children born with heart defects and adults with damaged in it.

On the other hand, the donated skin can be used as a natural dressing to help treat people with serious burns by stopping infections and to reduce scarring

and pain. Additionally, there is the possibility of donating bones, these are used in bone grafts which can restore health and mobility to many patients. And finally the tendons, whose donation helps to rebuild the damage in joints.

It is also possible to donate bone or amniotic membrane (part of the placenta) in certain hospitals while you are alive, during hip surgery or an elective caesarean. Anyone with a good physical and mental health and with the legal age can be considered for tissue donation, and donation needs to take place within 24 - 48 hours of death.