Blood or Automated Donations

319-356-2058

• First-time donor
• Automated donations

There is always a need for blood. Won't you take time to give the gift of life?

Call 319-356-2058 to schedule an appointment for whole blood or platelet donations.

The DeGowin Blood Center is located at the UI Hospitals and Clinics room C250 GH.

Beginning October 8, 2007 the DeGowin Blood Center hours will be changing to:

7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Thursday, and Friday
9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday

DeGowin will be closed on weekends. The exception to this is that we will be open for 1 day of donor collections on holiday weekends.

First-time blood donor

Here is what you can expect when you make a donation. The entire whole blood donation process takes less than 45 minutes; platelet donations take between one to two hours. You can donate whole blood every eight weeks or platelets every four weeks.

Registration: You will be asked for personal information such as name, address, and phone number. Please be sure to have photo ID with you. You will be given information which explains the donation process and a health history form to complete.

Health history and mini-physical: In general, you can donate if you

• Are at least 17 years old
• Weigh at least 110 pounds
• Have not had cold or flu symptoms in at least five days

After you complete the health history form, a staff member will take you to a private screening room and ask questions regarding your past and present health, take your blood pressure, temperature, and test a drop of blood to make sure that you have a satisfactory volume of red blood cells. Finally, we'll need to know the name of any prescription medications that you take.

Donation process: Be sure to eat a meal within four hours of your donation.

Your arm is thoroughly cleaned and a small needle is inserted into your vein. The blood flows through sterile tubing into a collection bag.

Every time an individual gives blood, a new needle and all new tubing are used and discarded. There is no risk of getting an infectious disease such as HIV, AIDS or hepatitis from donating blood.

Refreshment: The final step of the donation process is by far the most popular, cookies and juice! Sit back, relax, and enjoy your snack.

Automated Donations:

When patients need a blood transfusion, they require individual components or parts of whole blood because each blood component has a varied yet specific function.  Depending on the injury or disease process being treated, patients may require platelets, plasma, red blood cells or white cells.

Through a procedure called apheresis, platelets, plasma and red cells can be collected from one donor during a single automated donation process.  In this way a donor is able to help up to three patients. The best products to be collected from a donor is based on the donor’s blood type,  pre-donation blood counts, and the products most needed by the patients in the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics on a daily basis.

It takes approximately one to two hours for an automated donation. Platelets and plasma may be donated every four weeks, with platelets being able to be donated up to 24 times per year. If red cells are collected, there is a 56 day wait to the next donation.  Call 319-356-2058 for more information about how to become an automated donor.

All blood and blood products donated at the Blood Center are used by patients at UI Hospitals and Clinics.