FAQS

Remember that to come and donate, you must always bring an official identity document (DNI, NIE, passport or driving licence).

Men between the ages of 18 and 30 are ideal bone marrow donors. However, anyone up to the age of 40 who is in good health can register.

The Josep Carreras Leukaemia Foundation manages the Bone Marrow Donor Registry. The BST collaborates in promoting donation.

To become a bone marrow donor, you need to go to a hospital with a blood bank or to a blood drive. You can see all the donation points in this section of the website. 

You will need to tell the doctor that you want to register as a bone marrow donor. While you donate blood, a blood sample will be taken to determine your compatibility.

You can also join the register without giving blood, as taking a small sample is sufficient to determine your compatibility.

You can visit the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Foundation website, where you will find testimonials from donors and recipients, as well as information on the donation process.

If you wish, you can fill in the registration form on the website https://catalunya.medulaosea.org. Once you have filled it in, you will need to go to a blood donation centre so that we can take a sample. Filling in the form does not mean you are registered as a donor. 

No. The spinal cord is in the spine and bone marrow is the spongy tissue found inside bones. It contains stem cells that have the ability to produce blood. The donor's stem cells travel to the recipient's bone marrow via the bloodstream. Once there, they are able to produce healthy blood cells.

No. Donation is anonymous and altruistic. Moreover, the donor and recipient must be compatible. The chances of compatibility are very low, approximately 1 in 3,000. For this reason, when a compatible patient is found, your donation will travel to the patient's country of residence to save their life.

There are areas of the world where there is a risk of malaria or other diseases that can be transmitted through a blood transfusion. For this reason, after visiting certain countries you must wait for a period of time before you can give blood. There are international organisations that determine which countries these are, and the list is constantly changing. If your trip was short or the country you visited is at a lower risk, the decision on whether you can donate is made by the person conducting the pre-donation interview.

Therefore, if you have travelled, you may have to wait before giving blood again. Check the list of countries to be sure.

If you want to find out before coming to the BST whether the country you have visited will exclude you as a blood donor, and for how many months, you can contact donor services on (+34) 93 557 35 66 or by emailing atencioaldonant(ELIMINAR)@bst.cat.

As a blood bank, our priority is to ensure that blood transfusions are safe for patients, which is why we focus our efforts on carrying out the tests that guarantee transfusion safety. Moreover, most analytical tests must be performed on an empty stomach to obtain reliable results. In contrast, it is advisable to have eaten before giving blood.

Spanish legislation is very progressive in this regard and provides that any citizen is a potential organ and tissue donor unless they state otherwise. In our country, no document signed in advance by the deceased is required.

In any case, the consent of the family is required to proceed with the removal. For this reason, it is important that the family and close friends of the potential donor know the individual's wishes.

In Catalonia, the organisation responsible for organ donation is the Catalan Organisation for Transplantation (OCATT). You can find out more by calling (+34) 93 339 83 03 or by visiting the website trasplantaments.gencat.cat.

If you only had a check-up, you can donate on the same day. If you had a dental cleaning, you will have to wait 24 hours. If you had a filling, you will need to wait 72 hours, and if you had a tooth extracted, you must wait until 7 days have passed before giving blood.

The deferral period will depend on the type of procedure. After minor surgical procedures: you cannot donate blood for 7 days or until you have fully recovered. Examples of minor surgery: haemorrhoids, varicose veins, wound suturing, hernia surgery, etc. After major surgical procedures: people who have undergone major surgery will not be able to donate blood for 4 months. Examples of major surgery: pneumonectomy, cardiac or thoracic surgery, gastrectomy, craniotomy, severe fracture (femur, pelvis, etc.) and joint replacement (hip, knee, etc.).

After getting a tattoo, you may give blood, always at the medical discretion of the interviewer, provided the procedure meets the following requirements:

- Sterile, single-use needles.
- Single-dose ink opened in front of the client.

If the tattoo was not carried out under the above conditions, you must wait four months before gving blood. 

Yes, after you've had the flu jab you can give blood as usual. However, since vaccines can sometimes leave you feeling unwell, we recommend that you donate before having the jab. There's also no problem with you giving blood and then having the jab. For any other vaccines, please consult us.

If you have had Covid, you must wait 7 days after you have recovered to donate.

If you have been in contact with someone who has had Covid but you are fully vaccinated and have no symptoms, you can donate blood without issue.

Healthcare professionals can donate blood, regardless of whether or not they work in Covid areas.

When eating your last meal before your plasma donation, avoid:

Eating a lot of fat, such as fried food or heavy meals.
Drinking sugary drinks or commercial fruit juices.
Drinking alcohol.
Eating ice cream and other foods that are high in sugar.
Fat can be carried in the plasma, and if you consume too much, your donation may not be usable.

Yes, the Covid vaccination does not prevent you from donating blood or plasma. However, if you experience any side effects such as a fever or a general feeling of unwellness, you will need to wait 7 days.

Plasma donation, or "plasmapheresis", involves taking blood, separating the blood cells using a cell separator, keeping the plasma and returning the rest to the donor by the same route.

The donation takes between 45 and 60 minutes, during which time you can read, listen to music or simply take some time for yourself.

Here we provide information on foods that can help you increase your iron stores. However, remember that if you suffer from an illness or nutritional imbalance, you should consult a specialist.