Flying and Blood donation

[85mel]

As pilots, do you donate blood? How long between donation and your next flight? Is there a rule somewhere?

[BackPacker]

Yes, I do.

The Dutch blood bank advises not to do "dangerous" activities (where fainting could be a problem) in the 24 hours after donating blood. That sounds like a good rule to apply to flying.

As my donating blood typically happens throughout the week, and my flying mostly on weekends, there's always been a lot more than 24 hours in between those for me.

(Strangely enough, driving is not considered a dangerous activity.)

[localflighteast]

Canadian regs say you should allow 48 hours between donating and flying

I can't donate blood here (I'm English and apparently that means I have mad cow disease)

[robin]

It's in the guidance when you donate - 24 hours

[mad_jock]

In the UK you not meant to operate heavy equipment and the like for 24 hours and I seem to remember that they have a 48 hours before flying commercially somewhere in the rule book. But thats slightly different and I think its to give your body a chance to build up the red blood cells again for flying at altitude with pressurisation and the chance of failure.

I spent a month in South America and that put a stop to any blood donation for me. Exposure to some spider and a tick puts me into a high risk group.

[riverrock83]

Tis a good reminder - show go donate again. Couldn't for years after being in Africa on and off (Malaria area) and working / going on holiday to the USA, then trying to fly most weekends but clear of restrictions again.
Maybe on the next "bad weather" weekend!

Or maybe this is an excuse to go on another holiday...

[Nearly There]

I work part time for the blood service and have a CPL/IR, we ask all donors and have a specific list of jobs were if you're going on duty within 24 hrs of donating then we wont take it from you, pilot & ATC are on this list.

We also have pilots in to donate who's employers SOP's dont allow donation at all. MadJock its more to do with vasovagal events ie fainting, which can happen within that 24 hour period, the hemoglobin which carries oxygen in the red blood cells takes about 3 months to be replaced not 24 hours, thats why you cant donate again for 12 weeks after a donation, 16wks for women.

[taybird]

I leave it 3 days from donating to flying. Personal rules, just to make sure that I'm good to go.

[fernytickles]

Maybe consider signing up to be a bone marrow donor too? We're not allowed to donate blood or plasma here in the US as we may be mad cows (disease carrier), but with the bone marrow donor folks common sense prevailed & they were happy to sign me up.

[85mel]

Bone Marrow donation

I know about blood donation - what does Bone Marrow donation involve?

[mad_jock]

A huge fing needle right into the biggest bone in your body and it hurts like a bastard for weeks. I have done it.

You feel the sod grinding in the bone crushing. Anything to do with the nolan trust is understated with marrow transplant.

[fernytickles]

Mad Jock.

You know, I've heard a number of people say that. As far as I'm concerned my pain is nothing to what the cancer sufferer is dealing with. If it saves someone's life, then it's worth it.

[TheRobe]

And sperm donation? Now long of a wait after that?

[localflighteast]

I think they prefer it if you wait until you're in straight and level flight !

[mad_jock]

Not desputing that fernytickles.

Just telling the truth about what it feels like.

And I am all for giving blood and anything else which your body can replenish.

[Nearly There]

Platelets is just as important to us as whole blood, takes a bit longer, isnt painful apart from the needle and you can donate every 4 weeks as opposed to the 12/16wks

[BackPacker]

I know about blood donation - what does Bone Marrow donation involve?

Done that twice now (anonymous donor), via two different methods.

First was done through a series of (self-administered) injections with something called C-GSF or G-CSF or something like that. It's a medicine very closely related to EPO, the cycling drug. It enhances the growth of certain types of cells in the bone marrow, who then make its way into the blood stream. After about five days of injections (four a day) there's sufficient cells in your blood stream to centrifuge it out. This involves an eight-hour session hooked up to a centrifuge. Big needle in one arm, blood is sucked out, passed through the centrifuge and whatever they don't need is injected back into the other arm.

With this method the side effect is that you feel like you've got the flu for a weekend and in fact the underlying mechanism relies partly on your bodies natural reaction to the flu. And since you can't bend your one arm for eight hours during the centrifuge session, it gets pretty stiff. Other than that, there are no side effects. I was not affected much by the flu-like symptoms but in retrospect I would not want to have gone flying that weekend. (I did not have a license by then.)

The second was done through a series of injections in my hip bone, where they simply sucked the bone marrow out directly. As this was not just one but a series of 10 or so injections, and injections like this cannot be handled through a local anaesthetic, it was done under full narcosis. In the process they also removed about 1300ml of blood, which is a lot. (A normal blood donation is 500ml.) Afterwards, I felt sore (but not terribly so) at the place where they went through the skin. I also felt weak for a week or two afterwards due to the blood loss. And the narcosis is a no-flight indicator for 24 hours: I checked with the local aviation medical department.