IIRC Blood Drive
We need healthy volunteers to give blood to support research into improving the success of organ and cell transplantation.
For more information and to volunteer,
email iirc-blood@interchange.ubc.ca
or call 604-715-4482
Information For Volunteer Blood Donors
We are recruiting healthy blood donors for research aimed at
improving the success of solid organ and cell transplantation. You can read more about our ongoing research programs on the Research page.
Eligibility:
- You should be in good health and between the ages of 17 and 71.
- Donors who have been deferred from Canadian Blood Services because they have travelled to malaria or vCJD areas of the world, or have had a recent tattooing or piercing are accepted.
- You should not be pregnant or had a baby within the past 6 months.
- You have not been diagnosed with hepatitis B or C, HIV infection, or any other transmissible infectious disease.
If you agree to take part, and you sign the consent form, the procedures you can expect will include the following:
- A time to donate will be scheduled Mon-Thu at 9:30am or 3:30pm depending on your schedule.
- The donation will be performed by a trained member of the Cell Separator Unit nursing staff at Vancouver General Hospital.
- A brief physical exam will measure blood pressure and there will be a finger prick to ensure you are not anemic
The first time, a blood test will be performed in parallel to ensure that people who are handling the blood won’t be exposure to any potentially infections. - Blood will be withdrawn from a vein in your arm through a sterile needle. You may experience momentary discomfort associated with insertion of the needle, and a small bruise occasionally occurs at the puncture site.
- One unit of blood will be collected (1 3/4 cups, an amount equal to a standard donation at Canadian Blood Services)
Although the amount of blood to be removed will not exceed 10% of your total blood volume, you may experience lightheadedness or dizziness. This is usually a reaction to discomfort from the needle. If this occurs during the blood withdrawal, the procedure will be stopped. The dizziness subsides after a few minutes of rest.
The procedure will take approximately 20 minutes, and you will be asked to stay seated for an additional ~10 minutes to ensure you have recovered from any lightheadedness or dizziness. The blood that was removed will be regenerated by the bone marrow within 2 weeks, and there are no long-term side effects associated with the procedure. The maximum amount of blood that can be donated is 1 unit every two months.
Once you are in the donor pool, our staff will contact you by phone or email (every 3-6 months) to organize donation time, and you will be asked some general questions to make sure you are in a good health (such as have you had the flu in the past 7 days?).
If you would like to commit to donating blood twice in one year (every 6 months), you will be entered into our draw for iPods, iTouches, and Nintendo WIIs!
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We appreciate your support and welcome your participation.