How many pints of blood are in the human body? This is a question that you, as a health-conscious individual, should know the answer to. This is because in cases of blood loss, you would know if you ought to go to the hospital or not. This would also allow you to understand why blood is crucial – not only to your health – but to your survival as well.
How many Pints of Blood are in the Human Body?
Here’s the answer to the question:
There are, more or less, 9 to 10 pints of blood in females, and 10 to 11 pints of blood in males. The males have a higher blood volume because they generally have larger body mass and built.
In the hospital and laboratory, blood volumes are usually measured by liters (L) because it’s the SI (International System’s basic unit for volume) unit. Sometimes, it could also be measured in milliliters (mL).
Since 1 pint is = 0.473176
Hence, these are the equivalent values in liters, when rounded off:
9 pints = 4.258 liters (4,258 mL)
10 pints = 4.731 liters (4,731 mL)
11 pints = 5.21 liters (5,210 mL)
If you observe the values, you can conclude that losing 15% to 30% or more of blood can rapidly lead to complications. That’s why when bleeding occurs, you have to stop the bleeding immediately and rush the person to the nearest health facility. He would need blood replacement before anemia, stroke, heart attack, and death could occur.
In cases when there’s only a small amount of bleeding; anemia, dizziness, weakness, pale skin, and syncope would occur.
What to Do when Bleeding Occurs?
Open Wounds
Apply strong direct pressure on the patient’s wounds with sterile gauze and call 911, if you’re in the US or the equivalent emergency number in your own country. You can also elevate the wound higher than your heart, so blood wouldn’t ooze freely to the open wound.
You can apply a tourniquet to help arrest the bleeding too. However, the application of a tourniquet may not be applicable to persons who have blood vessel disorders. So, if you’re not well versed about the medical history of the patient, refrain from doing so.
The doctor would stitch the wound or perform similar procedures to close the open wound and stop the bleeding.
Must Read: Is Blood Homogeneous Or Heterogeneous?
Small Wounds
For small wounds, clean and sterilize it before applying pressure with a band aid or similar sterile materials. If it’s a pinprick, let the wound bleed for some seconds, while washing with running water. This would help eliminate dirt and bacteria that can infect the wound. Sterilize with iodine or betadine.
Massive Wounds
Massive bleeding can quickly lead to death due to cardiac stroke or attack because of blood loss. This calls for a prompt action and presence of mind. Call 911 and then staunch the bleeding using the following:
- Apply direct pressure to the wound with a sterile, clean material (gauze)
- Elevate the body part, higher than the heart
- Apply a tourniquet above the wound to prevent the flow of blood
In this case, the doctor would most likely order an ASAP blood transfusion to replace the blood lost.
Blood Donation
Blood donations are not life threatening, provided that you meet the requirements of a blood donor. Typically, blood donors could donate only 1 bag of blood. That’s roughly equivalent to 450 mL to 500 mL or 0.5 L , together with the anticoagulant. If you’re the donor, you’re not allowed to donate more than 500 mL.
Some Qualifications for Blood Donors are:
- Must be 18 years to 55 years old, for 17 years old donors, parental consent is needed. Some States allow 16 year-olds to donate. Refer to your guidelines in the State where you reside.
- Must be healthy with no existing conditions
- Must weigh at least 110 pounds
- No tattoo
In mild anemia, iron-rich diet and supplementary iron may be needed for treatment. You should consult your doctor to ensure that you get the best treatment.
Also Read: How Much Does A Heart Weigh?
How much blood can you lose?
Conclusion
To remain healthy, you must maintain your total blood volume. A loss of 500 mL once or twice a year in blood donations can be healthy, because the bone marrow has to produce new red blood cells to replace the old red cells. However, massive blood loss from other causes is fatal and would cause stroke, heart attack and death.
Thus, you should act promptly when blood loss occurs due to pathological or accidental reasons. You could be saving your own life or that of another person.
Hope this post about how many pints of blood are in the human body will clear your doubts and confusion. If you want to share this information, feel free to share this post.