The Precious Gift of Life - Essay Example

This type of screening was found to be imperative in the quest of ensuring that the samples which were collected were not at any risk of contamination.

Another disease typically checked for in the US screenings would be Hepatitis B, the antibody to Hepatitis C "anti-HCV" as well as the Nucleic Acid testing for HCV "anti-HCV" ("Donation p.1). The most notable difference when it comes to US and UK donation policy would be the manner in which how often individuals are allowed to donate their blood. Wikipedia writes that, "Due to the time frame for iron replacement, donors are eligible to donate whole blood approximately eight to sixteen weeks after the previous donation, the exact period varying by country and sex," Adding that, "In the USA, whole blood donations can be taken every eight weeks, whilst in the UK it is a wait of sixteen weeks.

The waiting period after "double red" apheresis is sixteen weeks in the USA. Donors are sometimes given iron supplements to be able to donate more regularly. Platelets are replenished in the body every five days, so platelet apheresis donors in the UK are allowed to donate every two weeks," ("Donation p.1). One of the most common tests performed on the blood samples taken are:1. Hematocrit: Done in some places and requires a centrifuge. 38% is the required level for most blood donors in the US, though autologous donors are accepted with levels as low as 33%.

Failing this cutoff is the highest cause of donors not being eligible to donate, as many premenopausal women have lower iron levels("Donation" p.1). The act of giving blood to save someone's life is not only courageous but also something that should be taken with the utmost seriousness. It would then make medical sense that the waiting period for donors to supply blood samples would vary based on their gender, as well as the environmental conditions to which they are exposed to as that would impact what it is that they would take into their bodies through consumption.

Another great security measure in the donation of blood is the lengths that are taken at which to make sure each donation is correctly matched to the person who donated it. The life which someone has to leave is something which should be taken care of and to have the more sincere respect for. Blood donation can be a dangerous thing if done incorrectly, so a strict policy for donation and testing is imperative for success.