University of Colorado Hospital Blood Donors

What is a Directed Donation?

A Directed Donation is the collection of a blood product for transfusion to a specific recipient. The recipient selects the donor, and the donation is ordered by the recipient’s physician. 

Peace of Mind. Although there is no evidence to suggest there is any medical benefit form a directed donation, many families elect to proceed with directed donations for “peace of mind”. On occasion, additional products may be collected from a Directed Donor to be used for the needs of other University of Colorado Hospital patients.

Am I Eligible to Donate for Someone Else?

All Directed Donors must meet the same qualifications as volunteer donors. For the recipient's safety, a directed donor’s blood must be compatible with the recipient. If the donor does not know his or her blood type, arrangements can be made through the Direct Access Testing Program at the Clinical Laboratory to test the donor prior to the donation (there is a fee associated with such testing).

In some cases, if the donor is not compatible with the recipient, they may still donate to the hospital’s blood supply to help replace what their friend or family member has used.

Basic Requirements:

  • Be in good health
  • Be at least 18 years old. (17 with parental consent)
  • Weight at least 110 pounds
  • Have no history of HIV/AIDS
  • Have not had a tattoo or body piercing in the past 12 months
  • No aspirin or aspirin containing products in last 36 hours (for platelet donations only)
  • No antibiotics in last 48 hours, unless they are for prophylactic use only
  • Travel restrictions outside the U.S. within last 3 years.
  • Additional requirement questions may be addressed at the time of scheduling you donation.

How Soon Will a Directed Unit be Available?

Depending on when the unit is drawn, it could take 2-3 days before the unit will be available for the recipient. We do not offer directed donations on an emergency basis.

How often can a Directed Donation be made?

Depending on the circumstances, a platelet donation can be made every three days, and a plasma donation can be made every 28 days.

Steps to take to set up a Directed Donation

  • A physician order (this may be done by use of the official order form or by writing a prescription) must be faxed to the Donor Center 720.848.1056. The order form must include the following:
  • Recipient’s Name (First and Last)
  • Medical Record Number
  • Date of Birth
  • Social Security Number
  • Hospital Location
  • Blood Type
  • Ordering physicians name and phone number
  • What products are being requested and how many
  • Date of surgery or anticipated transfusion.
  • The Transfusion Service medical director will then review the order, and determine if the directed units are medically necessary.
  • After Transfusion Service medical director has approved the need for blood, an appointment can be made through the Donor Center 720.848.1230. Same day appointments may not be available, but you will be accommodated as soon as possible.

 

Testing

Blood donated for directed donation undergoes the same testing as volunteer units. All blood is tested for blood type, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, HTLV and HIV. If any of the test results are abnormal, the unit may not be available for transfusion. The recipient’s physician will be notified if one of the units is not available so that another directed donor may be found.  All testing will take at minimum 48 hours to complete.

Important Information

Women of childbearing age should not receive blood donated by their children, their husband or their husband’s blood relatives. Receiving blood from these individuals could cause complications with future pregnancies.

Are There Fees Associated with Directed Donation?

A fee for the transfusion will be charged to the recipient's insurance. There may be extra fees for irradiation and other special handling if needed.