Blood Bank BLOOD BANK The Red Cross and a number of other organizations run programs known as blood banks to collect. store and distribute blood and blood products for transfusions. When blood is donated, its blood type is determined so that only appropriately matched blood is given to patients needing a transfusion Before using the blood, the blood bank also tests it for the presence of disease-causing organisms such as hepatitis viruses and human immunodeficiency virus(HM, the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS).This blood screening dramatically reduces, but does not fully eliminate the risk to the recipient of acquiring a disease through a blood transfusion. Blood donation, which is extremely safe, generally involves giving about 400 to 500 ml(about 1 pt) of blood, which is only about 7 percent of a persons total bloodBlood Bank The Red Cross and a number of other organizations run programs, known as blood banks, to collect, store, and distribute blood and blood products for transfusions. When blood is donated, its blood type is determined so that only appropriately matched blood is given to patients needing a transfusion. Before using the blood, the blood bank also tests it for the presence of disease-causing organisms, such as hepatitis viruses and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This blood screening dramatically reduces, but does not fully eliminate, the risk to the recipient of acquiring a disease through a blood transfusion. Blood donation, which is extremely safe, generally involves giving about 400 to 500 ml (about 1 pt) of blood, which is only about 7 percent of a person’s total blood