Blood can be donated in several ways. The fact is that usually the patient is transfused blood is not "as is", and certain of its fractions - what are most needed at this particular moment. In all cases, blood is taken from a vein on the hand, if some blood components are returned, they can either return to the same hand or the other.

You can actually take the whole blood - the doctors themselves and then figure out what to do with it. For every one donor taking 400-500 ml of blood.

You can also donate platelets – Donating platelets are somewhat more complicated. On the first day should be tested (before it can eat anything, from the donor to the analysis take 30 ml of venous blood). The next or the next day to go through the very process of donation of platelets (and a half hours on the unit, which takes blood from a vein, it filters out the donating platelets, and the rest returned to donors, take only 450 ml of donating platelets). This method is designed to be able to provide the required amount of patient's donating platelets taken exactly from one donor - the mixing of blood from several donors have additional problems. Blood plasma Survey carried out in advance, as for the collection of platelets in the unit is charging disposable sterile kit (needles, tubes, tanks), and these sets is expensive.

There are two fundamentally different ways of donating platelets: an intermittent and hardware. World Council considers useful to clarify the difference between these two ways. Intermittent donating platelets are shown that the first portion of blood, donating platelets are extracted from it, and the rest is poured back to the donor, then the procedure is repeated. In the second case, the process takes place almost continuously - from one hand shown in the blood is passed through the apparatus, and immediately poured into the vein of the second hand, the process takes place continuously. Actually the second option of donating platelets is better in all respects, but requires more complicated apparatus, which, unfortunately, are not at all the stations of blood transfusion.

You can donate blood plasma alone - roughly the same procedure as by donating platelets, only without the prior survey and the other apparatus. In the bloodstream back particles of blood and plasma is in need of it. The dose of blood for 1 times - 400 ml.

For every one donor taking 400-500 ml of blood is even more exotic option - renting granulocytes - derivatives of leukocytes.