Donating Blood

[Guest JArcher00]

Is it true that if you have been deployed to the box or areas around it, you can't donate blood for 1 year? If so, why? May be a dumb question, but a friend said this was true yet I was never told about after my trip.

Thanks

[Bergman]

I remembered hearing something similar, so a little google action yielded this:

Last year, the FDA restricted donations from people who lived or traveled in the UK and Europe during specified timeframes. DOD issued a policy based on that of the FDA, which defers DOD-affiliated personnel, (including retirees, military personnel and family members) who meet any of the following criteria:

Traveled or resided in Europe from 1980 through 1996 for a cumulative period of six months or more, or in the United Kingdom for three months or more.

Traveled or resided in Europe from 1980 to the present for a cumulative period of five years or more.

Received a blood transfusion in the United Kingdom since 1980.

Received a bovine insulin product manufactured in the United Kingdom since 1980.

The standards were instituted as a precautionary measure against exposure to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare degenerative disease in humans that is thought to be caused by eating beef infected with Mad Cow Disease.

The result of these guidelines was a significant decrease in donor eligibility

The source site wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but appears to be legit.

[Guest Hoser]

I was in the UAE as of Apr 05, and I gave blood via Red Cross back in the Dec/Jan time frame. They will ask that you list all the couuntries you have been to (and I think they wanted to know dates too). They will then jump into this giant book and look up what is running rampart in each country, then they'll let you now.

Hoser

[KWings06j]

I try to donate blood as regularly as I can (usually 2-3 times annually). Right now i'm not on flying status so it hasn't been an issue. Once I actually start flying I know theres going to be some sort of restriction but I would like to keep donating if possible. Is there a specific reg outlining how long from donating to flying or saying that I can't at all? Would I have to go to a flight doc before I went to donate each time? Usually I donate kinda spur-of-the-moment. I'll hear about a blood drive going on and that day or the next i'm usually there.

I scanned through the first 6 or 7 pages of posts and didn't see anything on this. I get an error trying to use the search feature from this computer.

[Herk Driver]

I try to donate blood as regularly as I can (usually 2-3 times annually). Right now i'm not on flying status so it hasn't been an issue. Once I actually start flying I know theres going to be some sort of restriction but I would like to keep donating if possible. Is there a specific reg outlining how long from donating to flying or saying that I can't at all? Would I have to go to a flight doc before I went to donate each time? Usually I donate kinda spur-of-the-moment. I'll hear about a blood drive going on and that day or the next i'm usually there.

I scanned through the first 6 or 7 pages of posts and didn't see anything on this. I get an error trying to use the search feature from this computer.

Aircrew are "discouraged" from regular blood donations. IIRC, it's a 72 hour DNIF (Duties Not including Flying). Since you don't necessarily know what the flying schedule will be that far out, at least in mobility airframes, you can see where problems would arise. Also, most flyers are on mobility status and you can get the call to go into crew rest and launch well before that 72 hours would be expired. There's no special permission required but...it's not like you undo this once it's done.

Bottom line: It is not a good idea to regularly donate blood. It creates too many problems for you and your schedulers.

[KWings06j]

I know a whole blood donation DNIFs you for 72 hours.. Does a red blood cell donation (where they take a double unit of red cells and return the rest) DNIF you for the same 72 hours or is it longer? I know doing red blood cells you can only donate half as often.

*Edit. Forgot about this thread. Posted this originally in the aviation medicine section (after searching just that section). Thanks whoever moved it.

Edited December 17, 2010 by KWings06j