Limited Exposure Blood Donor Program

The Limited Exposure Donor Blood Program is for some patients who are unable to give autologous units, but need multiple transfusions either for elective procedures or because of a chronic condition. This program is based on the belief that the risks of receiving multiple blood transfusions from multiple donors are lessened by receiving all the blood needed from a single allogeneic donor.

First, the patient’s physician or surgeon must provide a written referral to the DeGowin Blood Center. The referral should include patient’s name, number of units requested, and the surgery date. Then the patient or family member needs to contact the DeGowin Blood Center to make an appointment.  The patient and potential donors need to have their blood tested to see which potential donor has a blood type that matches the patient (recipient).

A limited donor completes the same health screening as would a volunteer blood donor. The first Limited Donor unit must be drawn at the DeGowin Blood Center.  Arrangements can be made with an outside drawing facility to have subsequent units drawn providing they are a participating drawing site.  In our program, the routine interval to donate a unit of whole blood is no more frequently than once every 72 hours (three days). The final unit must be drawn at least 72 hours before the transfusion is needed.