Blood Donor Center

Frequently Asked Questions About Donating Blood

Call 202-476-5437

Blood Donor Center
Am I Eligible to Donate Blood?
- Additional Eligibility Criteria
FAQs About Donating Blood (current page)

Every Drop Counts

View this video to learn more about blood donation and why every drop counts.

(Produced by Shincheonji Church)

Why should I donate blood?

Blood donations are essential for transfusions that save the lives of trauma patients, those with blood disorders, like sickle cell disease, or other conditions such as cancer. The need for blood donations is constant. To ensure an adequate blood supply can be always maintained, it is imperative that healthy, eligible individuals donate blood to their local blood donor center. Since blood is a living substance, the shelf life is short and it must continually be replenished.

Am I eligible to give blood?

Eligible

In order to donate blood you must meet these preliminary requirements:

Healthy and feeling well
Able to consume a full meal
Weigh more than 110 lbs

If you are unsure about eligibility, please read further eligibility criteria or call the Blood Donor Center at 202-476-5437.

Possibly Ineligible (feel free to call the Blood Donor Center for more information)

If you had shots or vaccinations in the past 8 weeks.
If you have had a new sexual partner or had multiple sexual partners in the past 3 months.
If you had major illness in the past 6 months.
If you traveled outside the U.S. or Canada in the past 3 years.

Temporarily Ineligible

If you have been on an antibiotic or medication for an infection, dental work, cold or illness in the last 3 days.
If you had a tattoo or ear/body piercing performed in D.C., Maryland or Pennsylvania in the last 3 months.

Permanently Ineligible

If you have ever tested positive for HIV/AIDS.

If you are eligible, call 202-476-KIDS or visit our site to schedule an appointment to donate blood.

How is my blood used?

The most common reason to receive a transfusion is to replace blood or one of its parts that are lost from surgery, trauma or burns. Premature infants often receive blood transfusions to replace blood taken for laboratory tests and/or because their system isn't producing enough blood on its own. Children with diseases such as leukemia, kidney disease and sickle cell anemia also may require blood transfusions.

Read more about uses for blood donations at Children's National.

Where do I go to donate blood?

Address

If you are interested in donating blood, you can stop by the Main Hospital. The blood donor center is located on the second floor in Suite 2700.

Parking

We have designated blood donor center parking spaces and will validate your ticket. There is also valet parking available.

Shuttle Service

We have a free shuttle service for pick up and drop off at the following locations:

Brookland Metro Station from 5 a.m. - 10 a.m. (every 6 minutes) and from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (every 10 minutes)
Columbia Heights Metro Station from 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. (every 10 minutes) and from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (every 30 minutes)
Union Station from 5 a.m. - 9 a.m. (every 15 minutes) and from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (every 30 minutes)

Hours of Operation

Monday - Friday from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. and for platelet donations 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The 2nd and 4th Saturday from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. and for platelet donations 7 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Appointments are not required however it is strongly encouraged for your convenience. Call 202-476-KIDS or visit our site to schedule an appointment to donate blood.

Is it safe to donate blood?

Blood donation is safe. The blood collectors check the health of all donors before they are allowed to donate. While respiratory viruses, like COVID-19, are generally not known to be transmitted by donation or transfusion, anyone who is not feeling well should refrain from donating blood. We want to reinforce that only those donors who feel healthy on the day of donation and who are completely asymptomatic should donate, even excluding those who report symptoms from allergies.

The blood donation process is easy and doesn’t require a lot of time. Donating whole blood takes about 30-35 minutes. Platelet donations take anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours. Plasma can take a little over an hour and double red blood cells can take about one and a half hours. Most people feel great after donating.

The average person has 8-12 pints of blood in their body and a standard blood donation provides one pint of blood. This one pint of blood can be used for four to five children. Blood donations are essential for transfusions that save the lives of trauma patients, those with blood disorders, like sickle cell disease, or other conditions such as cancer.

To ensure an adequate blood supply can be maintained at all times, it is imperative that healthy, eligible individuals donate blood to their local blood donor center. Since blood is a living substance, the shelf life is short and must continually be replenished.

Call 202-476-KIDS or visit our site to schedule an appointment to donate blood.

What are the types of blood donations that I can make?

There are two donation types:

Whole blood donation
Platelet donations: Platelets are vital to your body's ability to clot and are used to help treat many diseases. Platelets are collected using a sterile, single-use needle and a disposable apheresis kit. Blood is drawn into an apheresis machine that separates into components. The platelets are collected in a separate bag with plasma and the blood is returned to you. This process is repeated until the amount of platelets needed have been collected. The collection process takes 45 minutes to two hours. During this time, you may read or watch TV. We may also collect plasma and/or red blood cells depending on your blood counts.

There are several special donation programs that we offer:

Transfusion Buddy Program: Children who are transfused chronically, such as sickle cell disease patients, tend to develop antibodies. The Transfusion Buddy Program provides patients with blood from donors whose red cell antigens closely match their own. This may reduce the amount of antibodies the patients form, and make finding compatible blood for their future transfusions easier. Please contact the Blood Donor Center if you are interested in becoming a Transfusion Buddy.
Directed donations: When families want to recruit specific donors for their child, a directed donation can be made. The child’s physician or the Blood Donor Center can provide the family with more information on this process. Access the directed donations factsheet in English and Spanish for more information.
Autologous donations: Prior to surgery, some children can give blood to themselves; this is called an autologous blood donation. The child must be healthy, at least 12 years old, weigh more than 75 pounds and cannot be anemic. Access the autologous donations factsheet in English and Spanish for more information.

What is the blood donation process?

After you have scheduled your appointment to donate blood, you must fulfill some basic requirements outlined below:

Preparing to Donate

To donate blood and platelets we ask that you have a full meal and drink plenty of fluids.

For platelet donations, please refrain from taking aspirin and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.

Blood Donation Process

When donating please prepare for the following things:

Whole blood donations can take 30-45 minutes if you meet all of the requirements.
Platelet donations can take up to two hours depending on your platelet count and if you meet all requirements.
Photo ID is required to donate blood or platelets.
Prepare to read some basic information, give your medical history and have a mini physical.

Support Our Patients

The need for blood donations is constant. Please schedule a donation today.

Call 202-476-KIDS Schedule online

Host a Blood Drive

Organizing a blood drive is a fun, easy way to give back to the community. Discover how you can hit the road in our Bloodmobile to reach local schools, places of employment, organizations and places of worship to make a difference.

Schedule a blood drive