A regular donor myself – I believe that if we can donate blood to save the life of another – we need to do so!!
I have found the answers to some of my questions about blood safety on a pamphlet distributed by the SANBS:
Type O blood is so special because it is the most versatile of all blood groups. Adequate stocks of O blood group are vital for two reasons:
• More people have O blood than any other group, and only a group O donor can help a group O patient.
• Type O blood can usually be given to patients of other ABO blood groups, regardless of their blood types, as the red cells in type O blood have neither antigen A nor antigen B. In medical emergencies, when urgent blood transfusions are required, there may be little time to determine a patient’s blood type. Group O blood then comes to the rescue, as it can be safely transfused to patients of other blood groups. Group O blood is also used in outlying hospitals when there are insufficient facilities to determine the patient’s blood group.
Also view the Arrive Alive website for info on: