Ask MKBC

The four main blood types are: A, B, AB and O

The rarest blood type is the one not on the shelf at the moment a patient needs it.

A Universal Blood Donor belongs to the O- blood group. The red blood cells of a universal blood donor may be transfused to anyone regardless of their blood type.

A Universal Plasma Donor belongs to the AB blood group (positive or negative). The plasma of those belonging to the AB blood group may be transfused to anyone regardless of blood type.

1 person in 3 in the United States is O+. That’s 37.4% of the population.

1 person in 15 in the United States is O-. That’s 6.6% of the population.

1 person in 3 in the United States is A+. That’s 35.7% of the population.

1 person in 16 in the United States is A-. That’s 6.3% of the population.

1 person in 12 in the United States is B+. That’s 8.5% of the population.

1 person in 67 in the United States is B-. That’s 1.5% of the population.

1 person in 29 in the United States is AB+. That’s 3.4% of the population.

1 person in 167 in the United States is AB-. That’s 0.6% of the population.

Red Blood Cells can be stored for up to 42 days, while platelets can only be stored for up to 7 days – two of which are used for testing.

Red Blood Cells are biconcave disks that contain hemoglobin and carry oxygen to the body’s organs and tissues.  Mature Red Blood Cells have no nucleus.

Platelets are small fragments of blood cells that initiate blood clotting and control bleeding.

Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, salts and proteins, including soluble clotting factors; Plasma is 90 percent water and constitutes 55 percent of blood volume.

Cryoprecipitate is a frozen blood product prepared from plasma that contains clotting factors. It is used primarily to prevent or control massive bleeding in situations such as traumatic injury or major cardiac surgery.

Blood fights against infection and helps heal wounds.

Cancer patients are the #1 group requiring Platelet transfusions for life-saving treatments.

• Premature infants may use at least 1 – 4 units of Red Cells.
• Accident victims may use at least 5 – 100 units of Red Cells.
• Burn victims may use at least 20 units of Platelets.
• Cancer patients may use at least 3 – 10 units of Red Cells and 10 – 30 units of Platelets.
• Sickle Cell patients may use at least 10 – 20 units of Red Cells.
• Heart surgery patients may use at least 3 – 8 units of Red Cells, 1 – 10 units of Platelets and 2 – 5 units of Plasma.
• Organ transplant patients may use at least 10 – 30 units of Red Cells, 10 – 30 units of Platelets, 10 – 20 units of Plasma and 20 bags of Cryoprecipitate.
• Bone marrow transplant patients may use at least 15 – 20 units of Red Cells and 100 – 120 units of Platelets.

A unit of blood is approximately 525 mL, which is roughly the equivalent of one pint.

Yes. About 57% of the Latino population is type O, the blood type in greatest demand. That share is 51% for African Americans, and only about 45% for white Caucasians. As certain population groups continue to increase, so does the need for type O blood. It is critical that more Latino and African American donors give blood regularly to ensure that patient needs can be met.

Blood products are discarded when they are deemed unsuitable for transfusion during processing or very rarely when patient needs are less than supplies.

No, there are currently no substitutes for human blood. The only source is you, the volunteer blood donor.

Anemic patients require blood transfusions in order to improve oxygen transport to organs and tissues.

Approximately 350 donors are needed to meet the daily needs of transfusion patients in the 31 hospitals served by Miller-Keystone Blood Center.

Approximately 43,000 units of blood are used each day in the United States.

The following approximate quantities of life-saving blood products are utilized on annual basis in the counties served by Miller-Keystone Blood Center:

• Approximately 60,000 units of red blood cells
• Approximately 16,000 units of platelets
• Approximately 20,000 units of plasma

Between 8-12 pints of blood are in the body of an average adult.
A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his/her body.

Statistics show that 25% or more of us will require blood at least once in our lifetime.

Individuals must be 16 years of age or older to donate blood. State law requires written consent by a parent or guardian for 16-year-olds to donate blood.
16-year-old Consent Form (8/21)

Persons 17 years of age or older may donate without consent of a parent or guardian (unless consent is required by their high school). There is no upper age limit for blood donation.

Hemochromatosis is a disorder that interferes with iron metabolism, and results in excess iron deposits throughout the body.  The goal of treatment is to remove excess iron from the body through the removal of blood from the body (referred to as therapeutic phlebotomy). The amount of blood, and the frequency with which the blood is removed from the body, is determined by the patient’s physician on a case-by-case basis.

In 2006 with a physician’s prescription, MKBC obtained an FDA variance to draw blood from patients with hemochromatosis and distribute for transfusion.  These individuals are able to undergo their blood removal treatments, while also contributing to our community’s blood supply, as it is very safe to transfuse these blood products to hospital patients. These donors must qualify in every other was as volunteer community blood donors.

For more information on this process, call MKBC at 800-B-A-DONOR (223-6667) and ask to speak with someone in our Special Collections department.

No. Miller-Keystone Blood Center only accepts volunteer blood donors. According to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates all US blood banks, blood or plasma from people who have been paid to donate cannot be used for transfusion to humans.

MKBC does not test for COVID-19 antibodies.

Individuals receiving the COVID-19 vaccine or the Monoclonal Antibody Infusion are accepted for whole blood, red cell, platelet or plasma donation. (please be prepared to confirm which vaccine you received – manufacturer and date)

Thank you for making the decision to donate blood!

While appointments are preferred, walk-in donors are welcome and accepted as time permits. Schedule online at GIVEaPINT.org or over the phone at 800-B-A-DONOR.

Before you arrive for your appointment, please be sure to keep hydrated and eat a hearty meal.

When you arrive, please be prepared to provide us with valid identification, such as a driver’s license or your MKBC Donor ID.  AIf you answered your medical history questions at home using iScreen®, present the barcode.  If you did not answer your medical history questions using iScreen®, then you will answer them at the blood drive/donation center.

A trained medical screener will do a health check taking your blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and testing your iron level.  If your medical history questionnaire and your health check is successful, our staff will guide you to the most needed donation type. If whole blood is collected, the donation will take approximately 6-10 minutes.  Automated collection of platelets, plasma, and red blood cells may take 30 minutes to 2 hours.

When you have completed your lifesaving blood donation, you will be directed to the canteen area where you can relax and be served refreshments.  Whole blood donors must remain in the canteen for 15 minutes. And that is it! You will have shared your desire to save the life of others. While you may never know the recipient of your blood donation, you can be assured that they and their family are truly grateful.

Giving blood is generally considered safe. However, any procedure involves some degree of risk. Sterile procedures and disposable equipment are used in all Miller-Keystone Donor Centers and Blood Drives. Each needle is used once and then safely discarded and disposed.

No – you cannot contract HIV or other viral diseases by giving blood. Sterile procedures and disposable equipment are used in all Miller-Keystone Donor Centers and Blood Drives. Each needle is used once and then safely discarded and disposed.

Every blood donation is screened for the following:

• ABO and Rh blood types.
• Unexpected red cell antibodies that result from prior transfusions, pregnancy, etc.
• Antibody to Treponema pallidum (syphilis).
• Antibody to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
• Antibody to HCV (hepatitis C virus).
• Antibody to HBC (hepatitis B core antigen).
• HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen).
• Antibody to HTLV (Human T- Lymphotropic virus)
• Antibody to Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas’ Disease)
• Nucleic Acid Test (NAT) for HCV, HBV, HIV, West Nile Virus (WNV) and Babesia

You should not give blood to get tested for AIDS. Using blood donation as a way to get tested will put the blood supply at risk and endanger the lives of patients in our local hospitals. If you are at risk of getting AIDS or other infectious diseases, do not give blood. Individuals at risk for contracting HIV should contact their local health department for free and confidential AIDS testing.

Yes. Donors who are confirmed positive for any abnormalities or infectious disease are notified immediately and offered counseling by Miller-Keystone Blood Center’s Medical Department.

Miller-Keystone Blood Center practices strict privacy and confidentiality standards. We will contact you by certified letter containing instructions on how to manage positive test results. Should you have any questions regarding the letter, please contact the MKBC Medical Department. We will not disclose information regarding positive blood test results to anyone but the donor without their consent, except as required by law.

If you give blood but decide later that your blood may not be safe to transfuse, you should call 1-800-B-A-DONOR immediately and inform our Donor Resources Department.

About 100,000 people in the United States are thought to be infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas’ disease, a potentially life-threatening illness that primarily impacts the cardiac and digestive system. Up to 20 million people are believed to be infected in Mexico, Central and South America. Miller-Keystone Blood Center tests each first time blood donor for Chagas’ disease and discards any positive units.

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a serious blood transfusion complication thought to be most commonly caused by white blood cell antibodies present in the plasma component of blood products. When transfused, these antibodies sometimes activate a type of white blood cell that causes plasma to leak into the lungs, resulting in fluid accumulation – a condition referred to as acute pulmonary edema.

Sickle Cell Disease is a result of a mutation to the gene responsible for hemoglobin. This mutation causes a person’s Red Blood Cells to change from disk shaped to crescent shaped. The deformed cells may clog the body’s small blood vessels, causing extreme pain. In addition, these abnormally shaped cells die early causing a constant shortage of red blood cells, causing patients to become chronically anemic and increasing their chance of infections and stroke, as well as tissue and organ damage.

One in 500 African-Americans suffer from sickle cell anemia, while one in 12 African-Americans carry the sickle cell trait. Patients with the disease may need 15 to 25 blood transfusions each year.

No. Miller-Keystone Blood Center only accepts volunteer blood donors from the community.  According to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates all US blood banks, blood or plasma from people who have been paid to donate cannot be used for transfusion to humans.

40% of the US population is eligible for blood donation, yet less than 5% actually donate blood on an annual basis.

MKBC is chronically short of Group O Positive and Group O negative Red Blood Cells.  In addition, there is a chronic shortage of Group AB Plasma.  However, all blood groups are needed throughout the year.

Cyclic shortages typically occur during summer months and winter holidays due to school closings, vacations, seasonal illness, holidays, and inclement weather. However, blood shortages may occur at any time when there is an increased demand or decreased donor participation.

MKBC does not test for COVID-19 antibodies.

Individuals receiving the COVID-19 vaccine or the Monoclonal Antibody Infusion are accepted for whole blood, red cell, platelet or plasma donation. (please be prepared to confirm which vaccine you received – manufacturer and date)

• Give Whole Blood every 56 days, up to six times per year.
• Give Platelets every two weeks, up to 24 times per year.
• Give Plasma every four weeks.
• Give Automated Red Cells every 112 days.

Lightly pinch the fleshy, soft underside of your arm. Did that hurt?  That pinch is similar to what you will feel when the needle is inserted.

From registration to release, the entire donation process takes about 45 minutes to two hours, depending on the type of donation. The actual collection of blood products will take 10 to 90 minutes.

• Whole Blood = 45 minutes to 1 hour
• Automated Red Cells = 1 to 1.5 hours
• Red Cell + Platelet = 1.5 to 2 hours
• Red Cell + Double Platelet = 1.5 to 2 hours
• Single Platelet = 1 hour 20 minutes
• Double Platelet = 1.5 to 2 hours
• Plasma + Platelet = 1.5 hours
• Jumbo Plasma = 20 minutes

Times do vary by person depending on factors like the donor’s health history.

The actual donation of a pint of Whole Blood unit takes eight to 10 minutes.

The actual donation of Platelets takes 60 to 90 minutes.

The actual donation of Plasma takes about 90 minutes.

Imagine a two liter container of soda. When you give blood, you’re donating approximately ¼ of a two liter container, or 525 mL.

It will take your body up to eight weeks for complete replacement of Red Blood Cells. Plasma is replaced within 48 hours.

Miller-Keystone’s #1 priority is safety – of the blood supply and our blood donors! These requirements are in place and regulated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that your blood is safe for patients and that it is safe for you to donate.

Miller-Keystone Blood Center currently operates seven (7) Donor Centers with regular hours, conveniently located near you!  We also operate multiple satellite locations, some which offer weekly or bi-weekly collections, while others operate on a monthly basis.  For a list of our Donor Center and/or Satellite locations, click here.

Miller-Keystone Blood Center also partners with the community to host open-to-public Blood Drives with varying schedules and locations throughout eastern PA and western NJ.  To search for a blood drive near you, click here.

While appointments are preferred, walk-in donors are welcome and accepted as time permits.

To schedule an appointment, visit us online or call 1-800-B-A-DONOR (223-6667).

After your donation, Miller-Keystone Blood Center performs rigorous testing on your blood to ensure its safety for patients in our local hospitals. After testing, your blood is properly labeled, stored and eventually shipped to one of the many hospitals served by Miller-Keystone Blood Center. Sometimes plasma is sent for further manufacturing into lifesaving medicines.

No. Miller-Keystone Blood Center only accepts volunteer blood donors from the community.  According to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates all US blood banks, blood or plasma from people who have been paid to donate cannot be used for transfusion to humans.

Individuals must be 16 years of age or older to donate blood. State law requires written consent by a parent or guardian for 16-year-olds to donate blood.
16-year-old Consent Form (8/21)

Persons 17 years of age or older may donate without consent of a parent or guardian (unless consent is required by their high school). There is no upper age limit for blood donation.

Hemochromatosis is a disorder that interferes with iron metabolism, and results in excess iron deposits throughout the body.  The goal of treatment is to remove excess iron from the body through the removal of blood from the body (referred to as therapeutic phlebotomy). The amount of blood, and the frequency with which the blood is removed from the body, is determined by the patient’s physician on a case-by-case basis.

In 2006 with a physician’s prescription, MKBC obtained an FDA variance to draw blood from patients with hemochromatosis and distribute for transfusion.  These individuals are able to undergo their blood removal treatments, while also contributing to our community’s blood supply, as it is very safe to transfuse these blood products to hospital patients. These donors must qualify in every other was as volunteer community blood donors.

For more information on this process, call MKBC at 800-B-A-DONOR (223-6667) and ask to speak with someone in our Special Collections department.

No. Miller-Keystone Blood Center only accepts volunteer blood donors. According to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates all US blood banks, blood or plasma from people who have been paid to donate cannot be used for transfusion to humans.

MKBC does not test for COVID-19 antibodies.

Yes! Assuming you meet all other general eligibility requirements, individuals receiving a flu shot are accepted for blood donation if they are not currently experiencing any signs or symptoms of the flu.

Individuals receiving the COVID-19 vaccine or the Monoclonal Antibody Infusion are accepted for whole blood, red cell, platelet or plasma donation. (please be prepared to confirm which vaccine you received – manufacturer and date)

Thank you for making the decision to donate blood!

While appointments are preferred, walk-in donors are welcome and accepted as time permits. Schedule online at GIVEaPINT.org or over the phone at 800-B-A-DONOR.

Before you arrive for your appointment, please be sure to keep hydrated and eat a hearty meal.

When you arrive, please be prepared to provide us with valid identification, such as a driver’s license or your MKBC Donor ID.  AIf you answered your medical history questions at home using iScreen®, present the barcode.  If you did not answer your medical history questions using iScreen®, then you will answer them at the blood drive/donation center.

A trained medical screener will do a health check taking your blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and testing your iron level.  If your medical history questionnaire and your health check is successful, our staff will guide you to the most needed donation type. If whole blood is collected, the donation will take approximately 6-10 minutes.  Automated collection of platelets, plasma, and red blood cells may take 30 minutes to 2 hours.

When you have completed your lifesaving blood donation, you will be directed to the canteen area where you can relax and be served refreshments.  Whole blood donors must remain in the canteen for 15 minutes. And that is it! You will have shared your desire to save the life of others. While you may never know the recipient of your blood donation, you can be assured that they and their family are truly grateful.

“Thank the Donor ®” (TtD) allows blood donors and transfusion recipients to anonymously connect, enabling the recipient to thank the donor for their lifesaving generosity via email. It is currently used in many of the hospitals we serve.

Blood donations are urgently needed at this time, and we are grateful for your lifesaving gift.  Please note that FDA regulations prevent children from being in our Donor Room or Canteen areas, and they cannot be left unattended in our Waiting Room. If your child(ren) must accompany you to our donor center, we ask that you bring along a family member or friend to watch over them during your donation. If this is not possible, please contact us to reschedule your appointment. Thank you!

• Give Whole Blood every 56 days, up to six times per year.
• Give Platelets every two weeks, up to 24 times per year.
• Give Plasma every four weeks.
• Give Automated red cells every 112 days.

Don’t forget to schedule your next appointment!

If you’re in good health, 16 years of age or older, and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, you are most likely eligible for blood donation. There is no upper age limit for blood donors. Click here for general eligibility requirements.  If you have more specific questions regarding your eligibility, please contact Miller-Keystone Blood Center’s Donor Resources Department at 1-800-B-A-DONOR.

While eating a well-balanced diet is important for all donors, simply eating iron-rich foods may not replace all the iron lost from blood donation.  Taking multivitamins with iron or iron supplements, either prescribed or over the counter (from a drug store) may help replace iron lost.  Iron supplements vary in name and proportion of iron within the tablet/caplet.  The most effective dose, type of iron supplement, and length of treatment are currently being studied.  Current recommendations range from one typical multivitamin with iron (19 mg iron) to elemental iron caplets (45 mg iron) for up to three months.  Your physician or pharmacist may be able to assist you in deciding what dose, type and duration of iron supplement to choose.

Potential donors can only be accepted for blood donation if they have a hemoglobin or hematocrit that meets a Federally established level; we are unable to accept donors who have a hemoglobin or hematocrit below this Federally established cutoff.  Before each donation, your Hematocrit (iron) level will be checked. As longs as levels are within acceptable range on the day of donation, you are most likely eligible to donate blood; however, individual assessment by a screener may be required.

We are not able to draw a unit of blood from someone who is truly anemic.  Regular blood donation can deplete iron stores unless an iron rich diet is consumed on a regular basis.  In some cases supplemental iron may be taken. If a donor is being treated for anemia, a discussion should take place between the donor and his her physician to determine if blood donation is in his/her best interest.

Individuals with Skin Cancers (such as Squamous or Basal Cell Carcinoma) may donate blood, and those with Melanoma may be eligible after evaluation by our Medical Director.

Persons with other forms of cancer may donate blood after being in remission for at least one year.

However, individuals with Blood Cancer (Leukemia or lymphoma) are not eligible to donate blood.

If an individual’s tattoo was applied at a medical facility (eg Cosmetic Surgeon), tattoo was medically removed and have no open wounds, or the tattoo was applied at a state regulated entity in the state of New Jersey, they are eligible to donate blood.

However, if a potential donor had a tattoo applied in a state other than the state of New Jersey, they are not eligible for three (3) months from the date the tattoo was applied.

Donors with diabetes prescribed insulin and/or oral medication are eligible to donate, as long as all other medical requirements are met. Please note: if you have used bovine-derived insulin, you are not eligible to donate.

If prescribed antibiotics, you are eligible to donate 24 hours after your last dose. If taking antibiotics as a preventative measure, you are eligible to donate.

Other medications may require a temporary or permanent deferral. The list of medications that may prevent you from donating is constantly changing, so if you were deferred in the past, we encourage  you to confirm your eligibility from time to time, as you may once again become eligible.

For the most up-to-date list of acceptable / non-acceptable medications, click here!

Medication Deferral List Definitions

Traveling outside of the United States will not automatically defer you from giving blood, however there are temporary restrictions are placed on donors who have visited countries with a high risk of Malaria, and from time to time other infectious diseases. Click here for additional information outlining temporary and/or indefinite deferrals as a result of travel.

It is MKBC policy to not allow children in our Donor Room or Canteen areas for their safety.  They cannot be left unattended in our Waiting Room, so we ask that you bring along a family member or friend to watch over them during your donation. If this is not possible, please contact us to reschedule your appointment. Thank you!

A trained service animal is permitted within the Waiting, Screening, Phlebotomy and Canteen areas of our fixed sites, mobiles and coaches. Service animals shall be in the control of their handler at all times.  Service animals should not be left unattended.

No. Miller-Keystone Blood Center only accepts volunteer blood donors from the community.  According to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates all US blood banks, blood or plasma from people who have been paid to donate cannot be used for transfusion to humans.

Individuals must be 16 years of age or older to donate blood. State law requires written consent by a parent or guardian for 16-year-olds to donate blood.
16-year-old Consent Form (8/21)

Persons 17 years of age or older may donate without consent of a parent or guardian (unless consent is required by their high school). There is no upper age limit for blood donation.

Hemochromatosis is a disorder that interferes with iron metabolism, and results in excess iron deposits throughout the body.  The goal of treatment is to remove excess iron from the body through the removal of blood from the body (referred to as therapeutic phlebotomy). The amount of blood, and the frequency with which the blood is removed from the body, is determined by the patient’s physician on a case-by-case basis.

In 2006 with a physician’s prescription, MKBC obtained an FDA variance to draw blood from patients with hemochromatosis and distribute for transfusion.  These individuals are able to undergo their blood removal treatments, while also contributing to our community’s blood supply, as it is very safe to transfuse these blood products to hospital patients. These donors must qualify in every other was as volunteer community blood donors.

For more information on this process, call MKBC at 800-B-A-DONOR (223-6667) and ask to speak with someone in our Special Collections department.

No. Miller-Keystone Blood Center only accepts volunteer blood donors. According to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates all US blood banks, blood or plasma from people who have been paid to donate cannot be used for transfusion to humans.

Yes! Assuming you meet all other general eligibility requirements, individuals receiving a flu shot are accepted for blood donation if they are not currently experiencing any signs or symptoms of the flu.

Individuals receiving the COVID-19 vaccine or the Monoclonal Antibody Infusion are accepted for whole blood, red cell, platelet or plasma donation. (please be prepared to confirm which vaccine you received – manufacturer and date)

Thank you for making the decision to donate blood!

While appointments are preferred, walk-in donors are welcome and accepted as time permits. Schedule online at GIVEaPINT.org or over the phone at 800-B-A-DONOR.

Before you arrive for your appointment, please be sure to keep hydrated and eat a hearty meal.

When you arrive, please be prepared to provide us with valid identification, such as a driver’s license or your MKBC Donor ID.  AIf you answered your medical history questions at home using iScreen®, present the barcode.  If you did not answer your medical history questions using iScreen®, then you will answer them at the blood drive/donation center.

A trained medical screener will do a health check taking your blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and testing your iron level.  If your medical history questionnaire and your health check is successful, our staff will guide you to the most needed donation type. If whole blood is collected, the donation will take approximately 6-10 minutes.  Automated collection of platelets, plasma, and red blood cells may take 30 minutes to 2 hours.

When you have completed your lifesaving blood donation, you will be directed to the canteen area where you can relax and be served refreshments.  Whole blood donors must remain in the canteen for 15 minutes. And that is it! You will have shared your desire to save the life of others. While you may never know the recipient of your blood donation, you can be assured that they and their family are truly grateful.

iScreen is Miller-Keystone Blood Center’s secure & private, online Donor History Questionnaire.  iScreen can be used to complete your Donor History Questions before arriving at a blood collection center or blood drive (the FDA requires that your online Donor History Questionnaire be completed on the same day as your donation).

Access iScreen from GIVEaPINT.org on the day of your donation.  iScreen is a secure internet based system that will allow you to answer your Donor History Questions confidentially.  Then you will be able to print out or email to your smart phone a bar-coded receipt that contains your hidden responses which you will bring with you when you donate.

You can complete your Donor History Questions using iScreen the day of your donation.  Questions completed prior to midnight the day of your donation will be invalid and you will have to repeat the interview prior to your donation.

• Save time – by completing your Donor History Questions prior to arriving for your blood donation, you could reduce the amount of time spent at the blood center or donation location.
• Privacy – a Miller-Keystone Blood Center staff member will no longer ask your Donor History Questions, which the FDA requires we ask prior to every donation.  Only questions skipped or which need further follow up will be asked.
• Convenience – you can complete your Donor History Questions anytime and anywhere, the day of your donation.
• Help save the environment – iScreen is a paperless option.

Your name is the only personal information printed on your donor receipt.  After you complete your Donor History Questions, a secure bar code is generated.  This bar code can only be read by software accessible at Miller-Keystone Blood Center donation locations.  iScreen is designed to timeout after a period of inactivity so no one can access your confidential Donor History Question responses.

• Minimum iScreen browser requirements are: Mozilla Firefox 78.X, Google Chrome 84.0.X , Safari 13, Microsoft Edge
• Recommended iScreen browsers are: Chrome Version 90.0.4430.212, Firefox Version 79.0, Safari 14 or above
• iScreen is not currently supported on Android or Apple iOS mobile devices. Coming soon

• Miller-Keystone Blood Center cannot provide technical support outside of our own network. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
• iScreen requires Adobe Reader version 9.4 or newer.
• Minimum iScreen browser requirements are: Mozilla Firefox 78.X, Google Chrome 84.0.X , Safari 13, Microsoft Edge.
• Recommended iScreen browsers are: Chrome Version 90.0.4430.212, Firefox Version 79.0, Safari 14 or above.
• iScreen is not currently supported on Android or Apple iOS tablets/mobile devices. Coming soon!

Miller-Keystone Blood Center makes the iScreen available to all internet users. However, some employers may restrict access to certain website.  If you have trouble accessing iScreen at your place of business please contact your technical support staff.

There may be rare cases you may have to answer all or some of the questions again.  Those rare cases may be:

• Your donor receipt is lost or unreadable by the scanner.
• iScreen is not completed on the same day as your blood donation.
• If you didn’t answer a specific question, we will need to ask that question again.

You can change your answers at any time during the iScreen process by selecting the “Review Answers” button. If you have already completed the iScreenprocess and printed or emailed your iScreen donor receipt, you should notify a Miller-Keystone Blood Center Collection Specialist at the time of your donation.

You can skip a question and review it with a Miller-Keystone Blood Center Collection Specialist at the time of your donation.

If your donor receipt is lost you will need to complete iScreen again online or at the donation site.

As a safety measure for both the recipient and the donor, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that we ask the Donor History Questions prior to every donation.

You can give Platelets every two weeks, up to 24 times per year.

Platelets are tiny, colorless, disc-shaped particles circulating in blood that help control bleeding and bruising. Platelets activate substances in plasma which form clots and promote wound healing. Since platelets help control bleeding, they are very important for heart surgery patients, burn victims, organ transplant patients, bone marrow transplant patients, accident victims, premature babies, and especially cancer patients.

Cancer is the #1 patient group that needs Platelet transfusions. Some cancer treatments cause decreased blood and platelet production in the bone marrow.  When Platelet levels fall too low, Platelets are transfused into patients to replenish their supply and prevent life-threatening bleeding.  Many cancer patients require daily Platelet transfusions for several weeks.

Platelets have the shortest shelf life of all blood components, lasting only seven (7) days. There is a constant need of Platelets for life-saving treatments.

Apheresis is the process by which platelets and other blood components are collected from the blood using a cell separator. Blood is drawn from the donor and Platelets, Plasma and/or Red Cells are collected by the cell separator. The remaining components are returned to the donor along with saline fluid.  Each procedure take about one-and-one-half to two hours. Donor may watch movies, read or simply relax during the donation. The word itself is derived from the Greek word “aphaeresis” meaning “to take away.”