Indications for Directed Donations:

• Medical necessity for rare donor red blood cell or platelet types for patients with antibodies complicating transfusion.
• Neonates with blood diseases whose only compatible donor is their mother.
• Granulocyte donations when available compatible community donor are limited.
• Patients allergic to Immunoglobulin A when available community IgA-deficient donors are limited.

Vitalant reserves the right not to collect directed donations that do not meet the medically accepted indications listed below, as determined by Vitalant's medical directors. As a nonprofit organization, Vitalant is focused primarily on collecting and providing hospitals with blood that can be used for patient transfusion.

Please be advised that:

• Directed donations of blood or blood components are indicated in a very limited number of circumstances.
• Directed donations require a physician order supporting the medical indication for the directed donation.
• Despite thorough testing of blood donations, the social pressure that people who are asked to make a directed donation may feel results in blood with slightly higher infectious disease risks. Therefore, it’s important to use directed donation units only when absolutely required.
• Some donors pose a higher risk to recipients’ health, and current or future pregnancies, like: blood recipients’ potential marrow or organ donors, female blood recipients’ male partners, and mothers donating for their children or baby’s father.
• A special handling fee is assessed for directed donations commensurate with the extra work involved, even if the designated recipient does not use the blood and/or if the blood is not available for use due to donor ineligibility, blood type incompatibility, difficulty with the collection, or losses during manufacturing, shipping, and storage.
• The U.S. blood supply is extraordinarily safe and most transfusions for patients are fulfilled through allogeneic blood donations.