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Donating Double Red Cell through the American Red Cross
Red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body. They are most needed after significant blood loss
through trauma, surgery or anemia. Double red cell collection technology lets you give two units of red blood cells in one visit to the
American Red Cross. That means you may be helping twice as many people in less time than two whole blood donations.
When you make a double red cell donation, you’re helping to meet the increasing demand for blood, ease
chronic blood shortages, and increase the availability of high demand blood types.
During a double red cell donation, blood is drawn from one arm and channeled through sterile, single-use tubing to
an automated system. The system separates and collects the red cells, then returns the other blood components (platelets
and plasma), plus 500 ml of saline, to you. Since you don’t lose the liquid portion of your blood, some donors say they
feel the same--or even better--than they do after a whole blood donation.
Double red cell donations are as safe as a whole blood donation, and may be more comfortable to some donors since the
procedure uses a smaller needle. The procedure lasts a little longer than a whole blood donation (from 75 to 90 minutes)
since it takes extra time to separate and collect red cells from other blood components.
Healthy people age 17 and older are generally eligible to make double red cell donations. Donors must also meet certain
height, weight and iron level requirements. Men must weigh a minimum of 130 pounds and be at least 5’1”. Women must weigh
a minimum of 150 pounds and be at least 5’5”. Both men and women must have an iron level of 40 percent.
Double red cell donors must wait 16 weeks or 112 days between donations--twice the waiting time for a whole blood donation.
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Collecting two-for-one red cells can ensure that the red cells needed by patients come from fewer donors--thereby
decreasing the possibility of transfusion reactions.