Blood donation is a vital part of worldwide healthcare. It relates to blood transfusion as a life-sustaining and life-saving procedure as well as a form of therapeutic phlebotomy as a primary medical intervention. Over one hundred million units of blood are donated each year throughout the world. This article will concisely discuss a short history of blood donation origin and purpose, blood testing, donor eligibility and selection, adverse effects of donation, blood donation as a primary medical intervention, and a brief discussion of pathogen reduction and inactivation for donated blood.
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