The General Directorate of Blood Donation and Hemotherapy of the Canarian Health Service (SCS) has highlighted the importance of planning blood donations, particularly during the summer when many people travel. Journeys to specific destinations can lead to temporary restrictions on blood donation.
Before each donation, healthcare personnel conduct a thorough interview with the donor. This interview includes questions about their health status, habits, and recent travel. The primary goal of this questionnaire is to ensure the safety of both the donor and, crucially, the patients who will receive the blood or its components.
This selection phase is vital and is complemented by subsequent laboratory tests, including serological analyses and molecular biology techniques. These combined measures maintain the highest safety standards within the transfusion system.
Individuals who have recently traveled, plan to travel soon, or require vaccination before a trip, especially to endemic areas, must inform the healthcare staff. Professionals will assess each case individually to determine if a temporary deferral of donation is necessary.
An endemic area is defined as one where certain diseases are habitually present among the population. Depending on the destination visited and the risk of exposure to specific infectious diseases, a waiting period of several weeks or even months may be required after returning before one can donate blood again. This deferral period is a preventive measure, as some infections can remain asymptomatic and not be immediately detectable by diagnostic tests.
The basic requirements for donating blood include being between 18 and 65 years old (up to 60 for a first-time donation), weighing over 50 kilograms, being in generally good health, and not being pregnant. For further information, one can call the toll-free number 900 234 061 or consult the website efectodonacion.com.
