Q 01/05

Charles Drew, who led the 1940 Blood for Britain plasma drive, quit the American Red Cross over which practice?

A) Segregating donations by race

B) Paying donors for plasma

C) Refusing female donors

D) Reusing collection needles

Answer · why

A) Segregating donations by race

Segregating donations by race had no scientific basis, Drew argued, yet the Red Cross kept the policy until 1950. He had been appointed director of it...

Q 02/05

Donated platelets sit at room temperature under constant agitation, which limits their shelf life to about how long?

A) Two days

B) Five days

C) Three weeks

D) Six weeks

Answer · why

B) Five days

Five days is typical because warm storage lets any bacteria that slipped in multiply, so platelets sit at 20–24 °C and are tested for contamination be...

Q 03/05

Why does blood donation use a large 16- or 17-gauge needle rather than a finer one?

A) To draw blood faster

B) To reduce bruising

C) To avoid shearing red cells

D) To keep the donor's vein open

Answer · why

C) To avoid shearing red cells

A wide bore is used to avoid shearing red cells, which the forces inside a narrow needle can physically damage as the blood flows through.

Q 04/05

According to the American Red Cross, someone in the United States needs blood roughly how often?

A) Every two minutes

B) Every ten minutes

C) Every thirty seconds

D) Every two seconds

Answer · why

D) Every two seconds

Every two seconds for blood and every thirty seconds for platelets, says the Red Cross, and demand for a given type is never steady, so a bank can be ...

Q 05/05

From 1988 to 2013, what did US blood banks see during every national disaster, such as the September 11 attacks?

A) A surplus of donations

B) A shortage of donations

C) Fewer repeat donors

D) Tighter screening rules

Answer · why

A) A surplus of donations

A surplus of donations of more than 100 units followed each disaster, because people give most in a crisis, when the blood is arguably least needed. F...