BLOOD BANK
Blood banking is a process carried out in the laboratory to ensure that donated blood or blood products are safe to be used in blood transfusions and other medical procedures. Blood is collected and divided into its many components by blood banks so that it can be efficiently used based on patient’s needs.
OBJECTIVES OF BLOOD BANK
- To guarantee adequate supply of high-quality blood components that are as effective as possible and pose the fewest risks to patients and donors.
- To identify issues along the transfusion chain and address them to accomplish the objective.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR A BLOOD BANK
Space
10m² of well-lit, clean, and air-conditioned space is needed to set up a blood bank facility.
Manpower
One of the current medical professionals and technicians should be assigned for blood banking; trained on blood storage, grouping, cross-matching, and release of blood.
Electricity
A consistent, round-the-clock source of electricity with backup generators should be available.
Equipment Required
- Blood Bank Refrigerators (storage capacity of 50 units of Blood)
- Transportable ice packs frozen in deep freezers
- Insulated carrier boxes with ice packs to transport blood bags (maintain cold chain)
- A microscope and centrifuge
Consumables Required (Annual Requirement for up to 50 Beds)
| Consumable | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|
| Pasteur pipette | 12 dozens/year | |
| Glass tubes (7.5-10mm) | 100 dozens/year | |
| Glass slides (1″x2″) | 20 or 25 boxes/year | |
| Test tube racks | 6 racks (24 tubes each) | |
| Rubber teats | 6 dozens/year | |
| Disposable rubber gloves | 500 pairs/year | |
| Blotting/tissue paper | As required | |
| Alcohol-based marker pen | As required | |
| Toothpicks | As required |
Reagents Required
| Reagent | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Anti-A | 2 vials each/month |
| Anti-B | 2 vials each/month |
| Anti-AB | 2 vials each/month |
| Anti-D (blend of IgM and IgG) | 2 vials each/month |
| Antihuman globulin (polyclonal-IgG and complement) | 1 vial/month |
Suggested Quantities of Whole Blood Units
| Blood Group | Quantity |
|---|---|
| A, B, O (Positive) | 5 units each |
| AB (Positive) | 2 units |
| A, B, O (Negative) | 1 unit each |
Transportation – Cold Chain
- Cold chain maintained using insulated transport crates
- Blood carefully packed in cold boxes surrounded by ice packs
- Ice should be clean and kept away from blood bags
- Blood maintained at 4-6±2°C in blood bank refrigerator
- Continuous blood temperature monitoring necessary
Storage Guidelines
- Inspect blood condition when receiving and throughout storage term
- Any storage, cross-matching, issue, or transfusion-related concern is storage centre’s responsibility
- Blood units exhibiting haemolysis, turbidity, or colour change should not be used for transfusion
- Proper precautions to ensure blood sterility
- Blood usually expires after 35-42 days (depending on blood bags used)
- Unused blood bags returned to mother blood bank at least 10 days before expiry
FUNCTIONS OF BLOOD BANK
- Blood Collection: Obtains voluntary donations of blood from donors through blood drives or in-person visits using proper collection tools and sterile procedures.
- Blood Processing: Following collection, blood is processed to separate its constituent parts (plasma, white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets).
- Blood Testing: Examined for infectious illnesses (HIV, Hepatitis B and C, syphilis) to ensure safety for transfusion.
- Blood Storage: Keeps stored at proper temperature to preserve viability and efficacy of different blood components.
- Blood Transfusion: Hospitals and medical facilities use blood bank’s blood and blood products for patients with cancer, trauma, and surgery.
- Blood Inventory Management: Keeps track of stock of blood and blood products; ensures sufficient amount to meet community needs.
- Attracting and Keeping Donors: Aggressively encourages donors to provide on a regular basis.
- Research and Development: Carries out studies to enhance transfusion therapy and create new blood products.
SUMMARY TABLE
| Particular | Requirement/Details |
|---|---|
| Minimum Space | 10m² (well-lit, clean, air-conditioned) |
| Hemoglobin (Male) | ≥13.0 g/dL (max 20.0 g/dL) |
| Hemoglobin (Female) | ≥12.5 g/dL (max 20.0 g/dL) |
| Blood Storage Temperature | 4-6±2°C |
| Blood Expiry | 35-42 days (depending on blood bags) |
Dr. Saint Paul is a pharmacy educator, Pharm.D graduate, and academic content creator from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada (JNTUK), where he completed his Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) degree between 2015 and 2021.
He has more than 7 years of experience creating pharmacy educational content, writing study materials, and reviewing academic articles for pharmacy students. He has also contributed guest articles to pharmacy education platforms, including PharmD Guru.
At D.PharmGuru, his work focuses on simplifying complex Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharmacy) subjects into easy-to-understand notes, practical explanations, and exam-oriented educational resources for students across India.
His areas of focus include Human Anatomy and Physiology, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Hospital and Clinical Pharmacy, and other core D.Pharmacy subjects.
