1. Volunteer Training Double Red Cell Donation
This training material is a template which Blood centers can use to help draft their training material.
COL-COPY (AA)
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

2. Agenda What a double red cell blood donation IS and IS NOT
Why double red cell donation is important to our blood center, Patients and Donors
Why some types are more important for double red cell blood donation
Donating double red cells
Benefits to Donors
Donor Conversion
Who do you ask
How do you ask
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3. Double Red Cell Donations
Two Units of RBCs collected from one donor (one needle, one arm)
Donors keep their own platelets and plasma and get additional saline compensation to make up for blood volume loss
Millions of these procedures have been performed to date
Safe, effective and efficient
A double red cell donation is actually less total volume blood loss than a whole blood donation.
Whole Blood Donation
Red Cells, Plasma & Platelets
Volume 500ml
Saline Return N/A
(approximately 16 oz)
2RBC Donation
Red Cells Only
Volume 400ml
Saline Return 500ml
(approximately 12 oz)
The presenter will go over each bullet point emphasizing that “double” red cell donation is a safe, effective way to donate and provides hospitals and patients with what is most needed while allowing the donor to feel better after their donation. When compared to whole blood donation, donors lose less total blood volume and the donation takes place over a longer period of time which allows donor to feel better.
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

4. Haemonetics double red cell kit
What a Double Red Cell Donation is NOT…
A Less Safe Way to Donate Blood
Double Red Cell blood donation uses a “closed environment” and a donors blood does not come in contact with a previous donors blood or is it exposed to the external environment.
The “kit” is packaged sterile and is disposed of after each donation.
The presenter will discuss how the kit is packaged sterile and disposed of after each use.
The presenter will also identify the picture on the right as the Haemonetics MCS+/8150 that our blood center uses.
Haemonetics double red cell kit
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

5. Why Double Red Cells are important to our patients…
Hospitals transfuse red cells more than any other blood component:
About 65% of all transfusions are red cell transfusions.
Red Cells uses?
Trauma and Surgery
Our blood center only collects the following types of blood for “Double” Red Cell Donation:
O+, O-, A- and B-
The presenter will emphasize that most (approximately 65%) of all hospital transfusion are red cell transfusion and that is why it is so important to collect just red cells from certain blood types.
The presenter could also include the following:
“O” means absence of “A” or “:B”- that’s why “O” is the ‘universal donor’. Also, a negative (-) can go to a positive (+), but a positive cannot go to a negative. This is why we are targeting all “Os” and negative blood types.
AB donors are not targeted because so few people can receive their red cells, but they are the universal plasma donor and should be advised and encouraged to continue to donate whole blood or plasma apheresis donation so their plasma can be used.
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

6. Double Red Cell Devices
Our blood center uses the Haemonetics MCS/8150 automated red cell device to collect double red cell blood donations.
Some blood centers refer to double red cell donation as red cell apheresis.
This slide shows the Haemonetics MCS/8150 device that is used by our blood center to collect red cells.
The MCS/8150 device separates the plasma, platelets and red cells and then returns the plasma and platelets back to the donor (with some saline), only keeping the red cells for donation to a patient.
WBC= White Blood Cells
RBC= Red Blood cells
Haemonetics – MCS/8150
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

7. Double Red Donation – Blood Donor Benefits
Life saving impact with their donation
Smaller Needle
Convenience
Time saving in the long run
(Donate every 112 days instead of 56)
Less Total Volume Loss
This slide goes over several benefits:
Greatest life saving impact with their donation
Donors want to do what is right for hospitals and patients. If we educate them on what is needed most and why it will help, it will motivate them to donate what our blood center is asking for.
Smaller Needle
If a donor is afraid of needles, a smaller needle is used for double red cell donation.
Convenience
(Donate every 112 days instead of 56)
If a donor is really “busy” they would only have to donate half as often and provide hospitals and patients with what is needed most.
Fewer TR calls.
Most Experienced Phlebotomists
Although all of our blood centers Phlebotomists are good, the double red cell operators are the most experienced (fewer “bad” needle sticks).
Less Total Volume Loss
You actually leave more hydrated than when you came in! (Approximately 400ml of blood is donated, but the donor receives 500 ml of saline during the return of the platelets and plasma.
Fewer Donor Reactions / Feel Better After Donating
Studies have shown that there are fewer donor complications post donation when compared to WB donation. Not a surprise since you gain fluid volume during the donation process and the blood loss occurs over a longer period of time.
Approximately 12oz. vs. 16oz.
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

8. Educate the Donor… Volunteer 3 Step Flow Chart…
Step 1: Greet the donor and ask if they know their blood type:
Is the donor one of the four blood types (O+, O-, A-, B-) that our blood center is asking for double red cells donations?
No: Thank them for donating today.
Yes: Continue to Step 2.
Step 2: If the donor is one of the four blood types:
Ask them to donate red cells
Hand them the flyer “Please consider donating Double Red Cells today.”
Step 3: If they have additional questions, please let the donor know that the health historian will answer them.
The presenter will provide the 3 step process in recruiting donors for “double” red cell donation and answer any questions from students.
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

9. Who can donate 2RBC’s? FEMALE (minimum criteria)
Weight: 150 lbs.
Height: 5’ 3”*
MALE (minimum criteria)
Weight: 130 lbs.
Height: 5’ 1”
Criteria for men is different:
Because men carry more muscle mass and have a have a higher total blood volume, the criteria is different then for a woman who might weigh the same.
How to present to women:
“The criteria for red cell donation is a height of 5’3” and a weight of 150 pounds. If you meet that criteria, will you consider donating red cells today?”
The presenter should go over the different requirements and then go over how to go about asking a potential donor if they meet the requirements.
Remember, it is never good to ask a potential female donor, “How much do you weigh”, it is best to say, “The requirements for red cell donation are ________ lbs. and _______ tall, do you meet those requirements”.
*According to L.1 software standards on the MCS+ 8150
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10. Different ways to ask… SEE THE DIFFERENCE? BETTER APPROACH
COMMON APPROACH
Want to Give Doubles?
You don’t have time to do doubles today, do you?
BETTER APPROACH
Hospitals/Patients have a real need for your type of blood.
Can you help out our Hospitals and Patients by donating red cells today?
I’d like to offer you another option for your donation based on your special blood type.
Would you be interested in making the most of your blood donation?
The presenter can use this slide if they want to emphasize the importance of properly educating, motivating and asking a donor to donate “double” red cells.
SEE THE DIFFERENCE?
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

11. Conclusion
The blood center needs help converting at least the first double red cell donor(s) of the drive.
Having someone donate double red cells as soon as the drive begins jump starts collections for the rest of the day.
The majority of people who donate want to help. Most of them will say yes to double red cell donation if asked.
To have a successful double red cell program you need to ask people to participate and the way you ask is very important.
It takes longer for a double red cell donation so it is important to prepare the donor for that extra time.
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY