Blood Lines

The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Long Beach has both a blood transfusion and a blood donation center, with donations being taken on Mondays and Thursdays.    Blood donations take anywhere from four to 15 minutes and remove about one pint of blood.

Average adults have about 11 pints of blood in their bodies.  This blood is made up of plasma, platelets, red cells and white cells that carry oxygen and nutrients and defend us from sickness.

Once the blood has been donated it is packed in ice and sent to UCI Medical Center in Orange where the blood is separated into it's components.  From the Medical Center the blood is sent to Arizona for Nucleic Acid Amplification Technology testing or NAAT testing to check for things like HIV and Hepatitis.  After these tests, the blood is sent back to UCI Medical Center where it is processed and then returned to the VA Medical Center in Long Beach ready for transfusion.

For more information about donating students may call Debbie Ludke at (562) 494-2611 ext.2823.