Why are blood donors requested to drink fluids after donating blood?
M. Selvakumaran, Chennai
Blood is composed of the blood cells, namely, the red blood corpuscles (RBCS), the white blood corpuscles (WBCs) and the platelets, suspended in a clear straw-coloured fluid called plasma.
The plasma contains proteins, minerals, glucose, to name a few. Plasma contributes to 55% of the blood’s volume, while 40-45% is made up of cells. Of this plasma, almost 90-95% is water.
Every 100 ml of blood donated contains almost 50 ml of water. An average blood donation is either 350 or 450 ml. Half of this volume is water. This is why donors are requested to drink plenty of fluids after a blood donation, so that at least the fluid compartment’s loss in the body is compensated for.
Saranya Narayan,
Co-founder and Medical Director
Jeevan Stem Cell Bank, Chennai
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