Autologous blood donation is giving blood for your own use for a scheduled procedure or transfusion.
Your physician will discuss the advantages of receiving your own blood and the process of autologous donation with you.
To prepare for your donation, you should:
- Maintain a healthy diet.
- Drink at least eight glasses of water or juice in the 24 hours prior to each donation.
- Avoid fatty and fried food for 24 hours prior to your donation.
- Take an iron supplement to help your body replace the red cells and iron lost during your donation and prevent anemia. An information sheet about iron will be provided to you at the time of your donation.
The number of units you donate depends on the type and date of your procedure, and is ordered by your physician.
You may donate a unit every seven days within 35-42 days of your procedure, up to seven working days prior to your procedure date.
