Leader’s Guide

 Introduction

 The need for donated blood is critical. We presently do not have the technology to make synthetic blood in large enough quantities to meet the needs that arise because of surgery, accidents and chronic blood disorders requiring frequent transfusions.

Blood donation is completely safe, almost painless and takes very little time.

In an effort to educate girls and their families about blood and blood donations, Girl Scouts of Washington Rock Council has developed this “Blood Buddies” patch. Program.

 

How to Use the Patch Program Materials

 Patch Program Worksheet: The patch program has been developed with nine requirements. Daisy and Brownie Girl Scouts each have a specific number of requirements to complete. Junior, Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts must complete all activities.

 Leader’s Guide: The accompanying Leader’s Guide is a reference packet to be used by the adults working with groups completing “Blood Buddies” patch program requirements.

 This packet contains background information to help you fulfill the requirements. It also has several possibilities of activities to do with your troop. Choice of activities would be dependent upon the age level of your troop and the capabilities of the girls. The more mature the group, the more in-depth they would be able to work.

It is up to the adults and girls to decide when they have earned the patch. It is believed that each girl will work to the best of her ability, which is why there is one patch for all age levels.

 Obtaining Patches: The “Blood Buddies” patch is a 2" circle featuring two red blood buddies on a white background with black lettering. Patches are available at the Council Shop. Please call for price.

 The learning process can be made fun and enjoyable as well as educational by using some imagination. Information can be made interesting by introducing it as part of a skit, puppet show, game, hands-on experiment, creating an exhibit or poster, field trip, speaker program, file or slide presentation, service project or whatever else the group may decide upon. Don’t expect children to retain it by being lectured. Get them actively involved, moving, introduce a surprise! There is an old Japanese proverb that translates to:

 Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I might remember.

Involve me and I will retain.”

A benefit to you is that you’ll be amazed at how much more motivated you will be to continue when you see how the girls respond to your exciting programs.

Requirement #1.  Facts about Blood

What is the composition of blood?

Blood is living tissue composed of cellular elements suspended in a watery fluid called plasma. The cellular elements which make up about 45% of the volume of blood are red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Plasma makes up about 55% of the volume of blood.

What are the function of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets?

The main functions of red blood cells are to carry oxygen from the lungs to the body’s cells and to bring the waste products, carbon dioxide, back to the lungs where it is exhaled. The several varieties of white blood cells protect the body against infection and disease: some fight invading bacteria by surrounding and destroying them, while others play an important role in developing immunity to disease. Platelets help blood clot when a person bleeds.

What is the proportion of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in the blood stream?

The average adult has approximately 30 trillion red blood cells in the bloodstream, or about one billion red cells in each of two or three drops of blood. There is one white cell for every 600 cells and one platelet for every 10 or 20 red cells.

What is the role of plasma?

Plasma transports the water and nutrients obtained from food to all the cells of the body as well as minerals and hormones essential to normal body development. It carries waste products to the kidneys for excretion. Plasma also contains a number of proteins and other substances vital in maintaining good health.

How much blood is in the body?

About seven (7)% of a person’s weight is blood. The amount of blood varies according to height and weight. An average size man has about 12 pints of blood and an average size woman has about 9 pints.

How is blood kept healthy?

Just like the rest of the body, blood requires a good diet and plenty of rest and exercise to keep it healthy. Diet is probably the most important factor and foods such as leafy green vegetables, liver and the right amounts of vitamins and minerals will help keep blood healthy.

How does the body make blood?

The blood cells are primarily made in the bone marrow with the help of the spleen, lymph glands, stomach, liver and other specialized tissues. Blood cells are constantly being produced. Each red blood cell, for example, wears out after about 110 days and is then replaced by a new one. Plasma, the fluid part of blood, receives water, nutrients and other vital substances from the digestive tract and other organs and tissues.

What is hemoglobin?

Hemoglobin is a protein substance in the red blood cells which gives blood its red color. It is the substance that carries oxygen to and carbon dioxide from the cells of the body. To make hemoglobin, the body must have iron, which comes from the food we eat.

What does low hemoglobin mean?

People who do not have enough hemoglobin in their blood to be blood donors are said to have low hemoglobin. A test to determine a person’s hemoglobin level is to take a drop of blood from the finger and drop it into a solution of copper sulfate. The fall of the drop of blood in the solution indicates a sufficient hemoglobin level of the blood. Failure to pass does not necessarily mean that the prospective donor is anemic, since the blood bank’s requirement is purposely high to allow for the donation of 450 ml of blood (approximately one pint) with out harm to the donor. Although some anemia may indicate a serious illness, low hemoglobin often is a temporary condition which can correct itself in several weeks.

POSSIBILITY: Demonstrate the different proportions of the element of blood.

-         You’ll need a baby food jar, ketchup, cooking oil and water.

-         Fill the jar 2/3 full of ketchup. Carefully and slowly, add one inch of water, then fill the rest of the jar with oil.

-         The ketchup represents red blood cells, the water represents white blood cells

and platelets while the oil represents the plasma.

CAUTION: Add the elements very carefully and slowly to avoid mixing them.

POSSIBILITY: Show a film about blood.

POSSIBILITY: Invite a nurse or doctor to speak to the group about blood, keeping it

                            healthy and what it does.

POSSIBILITY: Make posters showing how food helps keep blood healthy. Younger

    girls could use food pictures from magazines.

POSSIBILITY: Go to Appendix 1 - and take the “What is Blood” quiz.  (Note: all the

   Answers are true”)

Requirement #2.  Learn about Blood Disorders

Blood disorders may be inherited may be brought on by environmental factors or poor diet, may be the result of infection, or may occur for reasons that are not yet known.

Hemophilia is an inherited disorder in which the blood does not clot adequately because the person is missing “Factor H” from their blood. Bumps and bruises, which, for most people, may not be serious, can have severe outcomes for hemophiliacs. Internal bleeding can cause pain and further complications. This disorder is inherited through mothers, but is exhibited most frequently by males. Very few females have been recorded as hemophiliacs.

Sickle-cell anemia is also inherited. This disease affects the red blood cells, making them change shape and become less efficient at carrying oxygen around the body. A person with this disease experiences great difficulty with vigorous exercise.

Simple anemia is something people can usually control by eating a diet rich in iron and vitamins. In this disorder, the red blood cells do not contain enough hemoglobin. This substance helps the red cells to carry oxygen around the body. People who are anemic tend to be pale and tire easily. Liver and leafy green vegetables are excellent sources of iron.

Hepatitis B and C and HIV are two examples of infectious diseases. Both can be acquired as a result of intravenous drug use. Needles shared by drug users my not be clean and the viruses that cause these diseases will be transmitted from the infected person to the next person who uses the needle. Hepatitis B and C affect the liver causing difficulty with digestion and most other body functions. It is a very serious disease.

HIV (human immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that causes AIDS.  AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome affects the body’s ability to fight off all other diseases. People with this disease become progressively weaker and eventually most die because of an overwhelming infection, which they cannot fight.

The causes of diseases such as leukemia are not fully known yet. In general, the body produces white blood cells that are not fully mature and in very great numbers. The body is not able to fight infection and many other complications ensue. Drugs to fight leukemia destroy platelets along with the white cells.

POSSIBILITY: Invite an expert from a blood bank to talk about disorders.

Requirement #3.  Learn why blood donations are needed.

Blood donations are needed for transfusions given for surgery and accidents. In addition, blood is needed on a continuing basis for victims of long-term blood disorders.

The demand for blood is constantly increasing, with rapidly advancing medical technology. Yet only 5% of those eligible are blood donors. There is no substitute for human blood. The only way to maintain safe and an acceptable level of supplies are through a program of voluntary blood donations. Over 8 million people in the U.S.A. each year receive a blood transfusion and there is only one place to get it - from another human being that is willing to share this gift of life.

After blood is collected it is usually separated into its various components. Some of the ways these components are used are listed below. This way, one unit of blood can be used to help many people.

 

COMPONENT	GIVEN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE:
Plasma	- serious large burns - lost a lot of blood suddenly
Red Cells	- surgery - Sickle Cell Anemia
Platelets	- cancer - leukemia
Factor H	- hemophilia
White Cells	- overwhelming infection

POSSIBILITY: Play the following game so girls can see how one blood donation can

    help more than one person. Write the following words or a phrase on

   cards (one phrase per card): burn; blood loss; surgery; Sickle Cell

   Anemia; cancer; Leukemia; infection; Hemophilia. These are

  “Receivers” of blood. Make enough cards repeating phrases as

   necessary so that there are four or five “Receivers” for each girl in

  your troop.

 

Make one card for each girl as illustrated:

-         Explain to the girls that they are holding a card that represents one blood donation from their family. Let them see how many people need help.

-         Ask them how many they think they can help.

-          They can tear their cards up so that they give to each “receiver” the component of blood that they need. They’ll be surprised at how many people one blood donation from each family would help.

-          

POSSIBILITY: Invite an expert to talk with you about blood donation. Your local Red Cross can help you with this.

 

Requirement #4.  Find out what are the requirements to donate blood.

A. Persons between 18 - 65 years may donate. 17 year-olds may donate if they have written permission from a parent or guardian.

B. Weight must be 110 lbs. or more.

C. Temperature must below 99.6º F.

D. Pulse between 50 and 100 beats per minute.

E. Blood Pressure Systolic 100-180, Diastolic below 100.

F. Hemoglobin for women above 12.5%; for men above 13.5%.

G. Must not have given blood less than 8 weeks prior to donating.

There are more medical criteria that must be met such as no serious illness or surgery within a specified time prior to donation. Some illnesses or medical conditions permanently prohibit a person from donating.

What happens when you give blood?

The first part of the donation process is registration. You will be asked your name, address, age donation history, and other routine information. Next, each donor is asked questions about their medical history. These questions are designed to make sure that there is nothing in the donor’s history that would preclude them from  making a donation. After registration, each donor is given a brief physical examination to determine weight, blood pressure, hemoglobin level, pulse rate and temperature. This mini-physical helps ensure the safety of both the donor and the recipient.

 

After these preliminaries, the donor enters the actual donation area and the process of giving blood begins. The donor is asked to lie down on a comfortable cot where the donation site on your arm is cleaned and the blood is drawn from a vein in the arm. Each donation is 450 ml or approximately one pint. After giving blood, the donor goes to a canteen area, for a brief period of rest and refreshments. The actual donation takes only about ten minutes and is relatively painless. The whole procedure, from the time the donor enters the blood center until they are ready to continue with the day’s activities, is only about 45 minutes. After your donation, the body begins immediately to replace the pint of blood. The fluid volume is restored within a few hours. The red cells replace themselves more slowly but are back within a few weeks. This enables one to donate safely about every eight weeks.

POSSIBILITIES: Invite an expert to talk about how a blood bank runs.

POSSIBILITIES: View a film or video about how a blood bank operates.

POSSIBILITIES: Go To Appendix 1 “Excuses and Answers”.  Read the list of excuses and answers and share it with the troop. You’ll need plain and peanut M & M’s and two bowls. Let each girl read or say an excuse that someone might give about giving blood. Let another girl give an answer. For each “good” excuse, put a plain M & M in a bowl. For each “fake” excuse to which there’s a good answer, put a peanut M& M in the other bowl. You’ll end up with more peanut M&M’s than plain ones, showing that there aren’t many reasons why people can’t give blood. Share the M&M’s for a snack!

Requirement #5  Learn how to do a mini physical exam.

The normal temperature of the human body is between 97.6º F. and 99.6º F. Most people’s temperature is around 98.6º F. A higher temperature may indicated an infection or other illness.  A higher temperature is most commonly obtained using an oral thermometer placed under the tongue. Explore and compare other types of thermometers.

The pulse indicates the rate and regularity of the heartbeat. The pulse may be felt most easily on the inside of the wrist in line with the base of the thumb. It is felt by placing the index and 2nd finger on the pulse spot and counting the beats for one minute. The pulse should be taken while the person is sitting down and quiet. The pulse will be higher during and immediately after exercise or stress. A normal pulse taken while sitting is between 72-80 beats per minute.  

Blood pressure measurements indicate the force with which the heart is pushing the blood through the body.

POSSIBILITIES: Have a nurse first aid squad member or another expert show you how to correctly take and read temperature, pulse and blood pressure.

POSSIBILITIES: Have girls team up and practice what they have learned.

POSSIBILITIES:  Go to Appendix 1 – “Taking a Pulse”.  Have the troop sit down and take their pulses. Become active for a few minutes (for example, do jumping jacks). Take their pulses again. Compare the differences.

 

Requirement #6  Find out about the different blood types

 

All blood falls into the following types: A, B, AB, and O. There is an additional factor known as the Rh factor and it is expressed as Rh positive (Rh+) or Rh negative

 (Rh-).  Blood type is inherited from one’s parents.

 

So there are eight blood types:       A+      A-        B+       B-

AB+    AB-     O+       O-

 

When matching up a recipient with the donor’s blood, it is important that the blood is compatible. If the wrong type is given, there could be serious complications. Before the transfusion is given, a small amount of the donated blood and the recipient’s blood are analyzed to be sure of a good match. People with blood type AB+ are known as “universal recipients.” In an emergency, they can receive any type of blood. People who have O- blood are considered “universal donors.” His/her blood can be given to anybody in an emergency.

 

POSSIBILITIES: Go to Appendix 1 - Learn the “Blood Buddies Song”.

POSSIBILITIES: Have each child find out what their blood type is by asking their parents. Frequently a pediatrician will have this information. It is usually part of a birth record.

POSSIBILITIES: Invite an expert from a blood bank to demonstrate blood typing.

POSSIBILITIES: Go to Appendix 1 - Play the “Blood Buddies Game”.

 

Requirement #7   Find out about blood banks.

Here’s how one blood bank, the North Jersey Blood Center, operates.

A VISIT TO THE CENTER

Each unit of blood that the Blood Center draws goes through a careful and thorough screening process before it is ready to be distributed to the hospitals they serve. First, each unit is returned to the Blood Center’s sophisticated laboratory for processing. Those collected at the Center go directly to the lab. The units drawn on mobiles are returned to the Center every few hours.

First, the ABO and Rh type of the blood is determined. Then checks are made for AIDS, hepatitis, syphilis and other screenings where indicated. The donation is then shipped directly to hospitals or, most often, broken down in their lab into its various components, plasma, platelets, red cells and white cells. Hospitals use each of these components for treatment of specific conditions, such as cancer, burn, anemia and many other maladies. Hence, one unit donated can go to help more than one patient.

The Blood Center was also a pioneer in the development of a frozen blood program. This is the most sophisticated method of storing and preserving blood. Bloods can be kept by this method virtually indefinitely. Most often, the freezer is reserved for rare types, but occasionally in times of surplus, types most in demand will be frozen. Your donation is entered into their computer system and permanent records are kept on each donation. This enhances the Blood Center’s ability to track donors, match bloods and provide accurate, up-to-the-minute donor statements.

POSSIBILITIES: Visit a blood bank. Contacts listed in Appendix 2 – “People, Places

                                    and Films”.

POSSIBILITIES: View a film about a blood bank. Go to Append 2 – “People, Places and

Films”.

 

Requirement #8  Participate in a blood drive.

Blood drives mean involving a lot of people in all phases of the drive. It doesn’t matter how old your girls are, they can be involved! They become members of a Life Team. The first step is to find out from one of the blood agencies where they are conducting a blood drive in your town and find out how you can help.

POSSIBILITIES: They are endless!

Daisy Girl Scouts                  - make posters about your town’s (service unit’s) blood

  drive

- take information home to parents to encourage them to

  donate blood

- take home a paper Blood Buddies patch to remind

  parents to donate blood.

Brownie Girl Scouts              - all the above PLUS:

- circulate flyers to neighbors

- make cookies, cupcakes and brownies for the blood

  drive

Junior Girl Scouts                   - all the above PLUS:

- baby-sit donor’s young children at blood drive

- make simple games for the children

- work at the canteen during the blood drive

Cadette Girl Scouts could    - all the above PLUS:

- run the whole blood drive

Senior Girl Scouts could      - all the above PLUS:

- donate blood if they are 17 years old and have written consent from a parent or guardian

Requirement #9   Learn and practice first aid.

98% of donors experience no adverse reaction at all. In fact, they feel great, having done something important for another human being.

The few people who do experience reactions can be treated easily. Competent personnel will be on hand at a blood drive, but the first aid needed is easily learned by most people.

 

Possible reactions and first aid solutions:

REACTION	FIRST AID
Bleeding from the donation site	Apply firm pressure with a clean pad. Elevate the arm so that it is higher than the rest of the body. Have the donor lie down.
Light headedness/faintness/nausea	Have donor lie down and then raise their feet 4-5 inches on a pillow or folded blankets. If donor is sitting, have them lower their head between their knees. A cold compress on the back of the neck or on the head usually helps.

 

POSSIBILITIES: Have troop practice first aid for donor reactions.

POSSIBILITIES: Have a nurse, first aid instructor or other expert give a first aid course appropriate for the age of the troop.

 

Appendix 1.

 

WHAT IS BLOOD?

For use with Requirement #1

                                                                                                            TRUE              FALSE

1. About 7% of a person’s body weight is blood               ______           _____

 

2. The average adult has 9 to 12 pints of blood                            ______           ______

 

3. Red cells make your blood red.                                      ______           ______

 

4. White cells protect against infection.                                          ______           ______

 

5. Platelets help you clot your blood when you bleed.                   ______           ______

 

6. Blood cells are constantly being made in your body.                ______           ______

 

7. A red blood cell wears out after 110 days of use in                  ______           ______

    your body.

 

8. Hemoglobin is the substance in the red cells, which    ______           ______

    carries Oxygen to and carbon dioxide from your body.

 

9. To make hemoglobin your body needs iron from the   ______           ______

      foods we eat.      

 

10. There are four main blood groups O, A, B, AB.                      ______           ______

 

11. Your blood type is inherited from your parents.                       ______           _____

 

12. By eating a balanced diet, we help keep our blood   ______           ______

      healthy.     ______           ______

 

13. There is no substitute for human blood.                                   ______           ______
 

EXCUSES AND ANSWERS

For use with Requirement #4

 

EXCUSES

ANSWER

1. Giving blood hurts!   2. I’m too young; I’m only 17.   3. I’m too skinny - I’ll lose more weight!   4. I gave last year - I can’t give again now!   5. I had hepatitis three years ago.   6. I had my appendix out two months ago.   7. I had very serious surgery three years ago.   8. I had a baby a year ago.   9. I had a tooth extracted last week.   10. But I just ate lunch.     11. My temperature is too high, it’s 99º.

You feel a pin prick and then you just feel good because you’re helping someone else. Anyone is eligible between the ages of 18 to 66. 17 year-olds may donate with their parent’s written permission. Anyone weighing at least 110 lbs. is eligible.     Only eight weeks must elapse between donations.     Anyone who has had hepatitis cannot donate - EVER!     Six months must elapse after surgery for donation.     Only six months must elapse for donation.     Only six months must elapse for donation.     Only three days must elapse before donation.     That’s good. You won’t get hungry until dinner. You can donate   You can donate if your temperature is between 97.6º/ 99.6º F.

 

TAKING A PULSE

For use with Requirement #5

 

Have your left-hand palm side up

Using the first two fingers on your right-hand, place them below the thumb.

Press firmly but gently and you should feel a rhythmic thump.

Do not use your thumb, as you will confuse your own pulse with the one you are trying to take.

The average pulse is 72 to 80 beats per minute.

BLOOD BUDDY SONG

 For use with Requirement #6

 

(Sung to the tune of “Old McDonald”)

 

Giving blood is lots of fun                             Giving blood is quick to do

A, B, O, AB                                                    A, B, O, AB

 

Good to do for everyone                              Then to the canteen for goodies, too.

A, B, O, AB                                                    A, B, O, AB

 

With an A needed here and,                        With an A needed here and,

an O needed there.                                       an O needed there.

Here an A, there a B                                     Here an A, there a B

Everywhere an AB                                        Everywhere an AB

Giving blood is lots of fun                             Giving blood is quick to do

A, B, O, AB                                                    A, B, O, AB

 

BLOOD BUDDIES GAME

For use with Requirement #6

 

Make a square game board from four colors of construction paper. Make each of the squares a little smaller than the first one. Place them on top of each other with the largest on the bottom. To distinguish between players’ pieces, use different items such as pennies, buttons or such as there are players.

Start on the outer most borders, go in a circle and ask each child a question from the game question sheet. As they answer the question, they advance to the next level of color until they have answered four questions correctly. The game is not over until each child has completed its questions. This way everyone wins.

NOTE: The questions can be added to, changed and repeated during the game.