FAQ

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood, and 100 percent of the community blood supply comes from volunteer blood donors. To see more information about why donating blood matters, check out 15 FACTS.

There are four main blood types: A, B, AB and O. Click here for a detailed chart about blood types!

If you are in general good health, you can donate blood starting at age 16. If you are under the age of 18, you will need a signed parental permission to donate form. You can continue to donate blood for as long as your health permits. There is no upper age limit to blood donation.

Check out Facts About Donating Blood  and Know Before Donating  for answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about blood donations and eligibility. If you still have questions, contact a donor specialist at 1-877-24-BLOOD.

Cascade Regional Blood Services is committed to maintaining a safe and available blood supply and treating all potential donors with fairness, equality and respect. To that end, we strongly support ongoing research initiatives designed to determine if donor-screening alternatives based on individual behaviors, not based on sexual or gender identity, will provide equivalent or superior transfusion safety. We encourage the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to continue its examination of deferral criteria for men who have had sex with men (MSM) to ensure the use of rational, science-based deferral periods that are applied fairly and consistently among blood donors.

There are a number of things you can do to help ensure a good donation, like drinking plenty of beverages and eating well before your donation. For more information, read our advice on how to Be Prepared.

There are a number of iron-rich foods you can add to your diet, such as fish, beans and spinach. Click here for more.

DO NOT STOP taking medications prescribed by your doctor in order to donate blood.

Donating while taking particular drugs could have a negative effect on your health or on the health of the recipient of your blood. PLEASE TELL US IF YOU are taking any medication on this Medication Deferral List from AABB.

DHQ Medication Deferral List v2.0 Revision date: June 2019 (Revised: Effient, Zontivity, Arixtra, Thalomid, Cellcept, Arava).

Blood centers are considered drug manufacturers and are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. CRBS also belongs to Blood Centers of America and is accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks.

If you are under the age of 18, you will need a signed parental permission to donate form. You can continue to donate blood for as long as your health permits. There is no upper age limit to blood donation.

If you feel your blood is not suitable to be used for transfusion to another person, please email or call Cascade Regional Blood Services’ Confidential Callback Line as soon as possible and leave a message that includes your Donor ID Number found on the front of your BUID card. The Callback Line is a message-only line available 24 hours every day. Call 253-627-0489.

1. Leave the bandage in place for four hours.
2. Drink more fluids than usual and eat heartily at your next meal.
3. Refrain from drinking alcohol and smoking for four hours.
4. Please refrain from strenuous lifting or exercise for 24 hours.
5. If you feel light headed, sit down and place your head between your knees or lay down until the feeling passes.
6. If you have bleeding or bruising at the venipuncture site, intermittently apply pressure and/or a cold pack for the next 24 hours.
7. If you become ill in the next few days, or if you are diagnosed with hepatitis in the next few months, please call our Confidential Callback Line 253-627-0489 as soon as possible.

Cascade Regional Blood Services partners with Be The Match to make it easy to join the National Marrow Registry online.

Everyone aged 18-44 is encouraged to learn how easy it is to save the life of a patient with blood cancer or other life threatening disease.

For more information about Be the Match and to join the registry, visit join.bethematch.org/CRBS  to begin the match process. To schedule a registry event, contact Tori.Fairhurst@nmdp.org