You can make the following types of donations:

• Blood components for transfusion
  • Whole blood

  • Red cells by apheresis

  • Platelets by apheresis

  • AB Plasma by apheresis

• Autologous blood donations

• Hemochromatosis donations

• Blood components for laboratory research use

• Marrow or circulating marrow-derived stem cell donations

Donated blood is never wasted. It is used every day of the year to treat Clinical Center patients who are participating in the medical treatment and research programs of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). If your blood is not required for immediate use, it may be frozen and stored. Fractions of blood that cannot be used for transfusion are used for research. Occasionally, the blood you give may not be required for a patient here but may be sent to another hospital, where it can be used to help save a life.