- Australia has one of the safest blood supply systems in the world.
- You can donate whole blood every 12 weeks.
- O negative blood is universal and can be given to anyone.
- Plasma and platelet donations can be made every 2 weeks.
- Every whole blood donation can save 3 lives.
- 1 in 3 people will need blood. Only 1 in 30 gives blood.
- Australia needs over 27,000 blood donations every week.
- 470mL of blood is collected when you give whole blood.
- Within 24-48 hours of giving blood, your blood volume is completely restored.
- Giving blood only takes about an hour.
- Plasma donations can be used to make 17 different products.
- Red blood cells have a shelf life of 42 days.
- 34% of donated blood goes towards helping cancer patients.
- You can start giving blood at 16.
- The blood service has been collecting blood for over 80 years.
- Many donor centres have a courtesy bus.
- You can donate double platelets – helping twice as many people.
- Platelets have a shelf life of only 5 days.
Research Program
Donor and Community Research
- The Initiation and Maintenance of Plasma Donation in Australian - 3 year ARC Linkage Grant
- Examining the Impact of Marketing Communications on Brand Image, Brand Equity and Behaviour Outcomes
- Understanding Barriers and Enablers to Donate Blood of Sub-Saharan African Migrants and Refugees
- Staging an Encore Act: Targeting Lapsed Blood Donors with Emotional Advertising Appeals
- Effects of Appointment Scheduling on Commitment to Donate and Satisfaction with Donation Experience
- Exploring the Emotional Ambivalence of Generation Y Blood Donors
- Enhancing and Retaining Donor Relationships Using Internet-Based Communication
- Motivating Lapsed Donors through Reciprocity
Applied and Developmental Research
- Impact of Storage Temperature Excursions
- Human inflammatory cell responses to PRT-treated platelet concentrates
- Evaluation of a point of care ferritin test for determining iron status in blood donors
- Evaluation of the INTERCEPT and THERAFLEX UV-Platelet PRT systems
- NAT Sample Archive
- Novel Blood Separation Technologies- ErySep
- Pathogen reduction in red cells using the INTERCEPT technology
- Understanding the effects of irradiation on RBC concentrates
- Understanding the mechanisms of the platelet storage lesion following PRT
- Frozen Blood (ADF)
Transfusion Science Research
- Ultrasensitive detection of dengue contamination of blood
- Properties of stored red blood cells
- Microparticles in fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate and red blood cell components
- Donor-related factors and variability of stored RBC quality
- Red Blood Cell (RBC) deformability in stored RBCs.
- Identification of immune biomarkers
- Blood Group Genotyping for donors and patients
- Ovine TRALI model: characterising antibody-mediated and BRM-mediated TRALI
Clinical Research
- Obstetric blood outcomes evaluation
- TRANSFUSE (STandarRd issue trANsfusion versuS Fresher red blood cell Use in intenSive carE)
- Clinical studies of evidence-based IVIG dosing
- Response to RhD immunisation: genetic polymorphisms to predict responders
- Survey of Donors Who Use Autologous Serum Eyedrops
- Transfusion Outcomes Research Collaborative (TORC)
- Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (TTP) Registry
- Fetomaternal/Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia (NAIT) Registry
- Critical Bleeding and Massive Transfusion Registry
- Blood supply in a major disaster or pandemic
- Transfusion Research: Improving Outcomes (TRIO)
- Data linkage studies
- Modelling and monitoring studies
- Human factors research in transfusion practice
- Trial of Prophylactic Platelet Transfusions (TOPPS)