What Is Whole Blood?

What Is Whole Blood? Whole blood is our blood as it flows in our own bodies -- with not one of its elements separated or removed. In medicine, whole blood is an uncommon type of transfusion. It is used as a treatment for patients who demand large quantities of all of the components of blood, like those who have sustained significant blood loss due to injury or heart operation. What Are the Components of Blood? how many pints of blood in the human body? Whole blood consists of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, all of which can be suspended in a liquid called plasma. Complete blood and all it's four elements are valuable tools in contemporary medicine. Just how Much Blood Is from the Human Body? The amount of blood in a person's body is dependent upon their size (the bigger the person's body is, the blood it will comprise ). A newborn baby's body will comprise just around a cup of blood whereas a 150-180 pounds. Adult will have roughly 1.2-1.5 gallons (or 10 units) of blood in their body. Blood is roughly 10 percent of an adult's weight. Our red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, make up roughly 45 percent of the volume of our blood. The remaining 55% is liquid plasma. Whole blood is used to help patients in two ways. It can be transfused to one patient. Whole blood can also be split into its particular elements of red cells, plasma and platelets. These components can be given to different patients, and that's the reason we say that a donation of one unit or pint of whole blood can help numerous people. (Though white blood cells are occasionally utilized in medicine, they are not derived from a whole blood donation.) Why Donations Are So Important Recent research show that there's a need for blood transfusions every 2 seconds. Whole blood is the simplest, most common type of blood donation. A scheduled appointment to donate whole blood may take no more than one hour, and the actual donation is just 8-10 minutes of that moment. 38% of the population in the USA are eligible to donate blood, but only 3 percent of us actually contribute. What Are Red Blood Cells? how many pints in a human body? Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, are among the components of blood. (Others are plasma, platelets and white blood cells) They are continuously made in our bone marrow. Just a couple of drops of blood can contain approximately one billion red blood cells in actuality, that is what provides our blood that distinctive reddish color. Red blood cells carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our bodies. Then they make the return trip, taking carbon dioxide back to our lungs to be exhaled. A low red blood cell count, called anemia, can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness and other symptoms. When untreated, anemia may result in serious complications. Oftentimes, anemia occurs when we do not consume a nutrient rich dietchoosing foods that are rich in iron and other minerals and vitamins can help increase the red blood cell count. Learn about heme iron and which foods are thought to be abundant in iron. Anemia may also be brought about by pregnancy and specific medical conditions like bleeding disorders and kidney disease. Speak with your physician to determine the most appropriate plan of treatment. Red blood cells are the most commonly transfused blood component. Patients who benefit most from receiving red blood cells include those with chronic anemia resulting from kidney failure or gastrointestinal bleeding, and those with acute blood loss resulting from trauma. They may also be used to treat blood disorders such as sickle cell disease.