After donation, your unit of blood does not go straight to a patient. It enters a chain of testing, processing, and inventory management designed to protect recipients and match clinical needs.
Laboratory testing
Each unit is tested for infectious agents (such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis) and is typed for ABO and Rh. Only units that pass these tests are released for transfusion.
Component separation
Whole blood is often separated into components: red cells, plasma and platelets. This allows one donation to help multiple patients — for example, platelets for a cancer patient, plasma for trauma, and red cells for surgery.
Storage and distribution
Blood banks store components under strict conditions (refrigeration, agitation for platelets, freezing for plasma) and manage inventories to match supply with hospital requests. Hospitals request compatible units which are cross-matched before transfusion.
Traceability and safety
Units are tracked from donation to transfusion using barcodes and records so any safety concerns can be traced and managed. This system protects both donors and recipients.