General Information about Blood Donations
Florida Blood Services (FBS) requires over 1,000 volunteer donations each weekday to serve the needs of patients
in 61 hospitals and 80 ambulatory care health facilities in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Escambia,
Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, and Bay counties.
Volunteer blood donations are a key element to modern medical care. Blood donations unite people from all walks
of life and represent an important civic duty. They are a vital part of therapy for trauma, cancer, surgeries, and other
conditions. Healthy blood donors, as the only source of this lifesaving service, perform an irreplaceable act of care
for friends, family, acquaintances and strangers requiring transfusion.
Donating blood involves risks and potential complications as well as the communication of confidential information.
Blood Donor Suitability
The blood bank makes a determination as to the suitability of all blood donors based on a physical examination,
donor interview, and disease testing. During the donor interview, sensitive and personal information is obtained from
the donor. These questions include questions about the donor’s medical condition, health status, and exposure to
infectious diseases. It is important that questions be answered fully and truthfully.
Adverse Reactions to Donating Blood
While the blood donation process is normally a pleasant experience, it is possible that short-term side effects can
occur such as dizziness, skin irritation, bruising, or fainting. Although remote, it is also possible that bruising
around the vein, an infection, or nerve damage can develop during or after phlebotomy, which is the process of
drawing the blood. On rare occasions, more severe reactions can occur with more serious and long-term
complications.
Testing of Donated Blood
Donated blood will undergo testing for viral agents and diseases including but not limited to HIV and hepatitis C.
Abnormal test results will be reported to the donor and to the donor’s parent or legal guardian, if the donor has not
yet reached his or her seventeenth birthday. This information is confidential and will not be disclosed to anyone
unless specifically authorized by the donor and the donor’s parent or legal guardian or required by law. A positive
test result for an infectious disease may be reported to the state health department or as otherwise required by law,
where exposure to others may be involved.
Confidentiality of Donor Information
The medical and personal information and results of testing will be held by the blood bank in strict confidence and
will not be disclosed to anyone unless specifically authorized by the donor and the donor’s parent or legal guardian
except where authorized by law. For example, for blood donors who are minors, positive disease screening results
will be reported to the donor and to the donor’s parent or legal guardian, if the donor has not yet reached his or her
seventeenth birthday.
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