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Donating
Platelets |
What
are Platelets?
Platelets
are blood cells that help control bleeding. When a
blood vessel, or skin, is damaged, platelets collect at
the site of the injury and temporarily repair the tear,
through a process with active plasma substance to form
a clot.
What
is Apheresis?
Because
not enough platelets can be captured from whole blood
donations a special procedure called Apheresis (ay-fur-ee-sis)
is utilized. An apheresis donation allows a donor to
give specific blood components, such as platelets. During
the apheresis procedure, all but the needed blood component
is returned to the donor.
Why
is Blood Separated?
Different
patients need different types of blood components, depending
on their illness or injury. After you donate whole
blood the unit is separated into red cells and plasma
in our laboratory. Whole blood can be stored for 42
days. Plasma can be frozen for up to one year. Plasma
is used to replace essential proteins for clotting or
replace volume in trauma cases.
Who
Needs Platelets?
Many
lifesaving medical treatments require platelet transfusions.
Cancer patients, those receiving organ or bone marrow
transplants, victims of traumatic injuries, and patients
undergoing open-heart surgery require platelet transfusions
in order to survive.
Because
platelets can be stored for only five days, the need
for platelet donations is continuous.
Platelet
transfusions are needed each year by thousands of patients
like these:
- Heart
Surgery Patient, 6 units
- Burn
Patient, 20 units
- Organ
Transplant Patient, 30 units
- Bone
Marrow Transplant Patient, 120 units
Who can be a
Plateletpheresis
Donor?
If
you meet the requirements for donating blood, you probably
can give platelets. Plateletpheresis donors must:
- Be
at least 17-years-old
- Be
in good health
- Weigh
a minimum of 110 pounds
- Have
good quality veins
-
Free
from ingestion of aspirin or products containing aspirin
for at least 72 hours before donation
Is
the Procedure Safe?
Yes.
Each donation is closely supervised throughout the procedure
by trained staff. A small portion of your platelets
is collected so there is very little risk of bleeding
problems as a result of donation. Your body will replace
donated platelets within a few hours. The donation
equipment (needles, tubing, collection bags) are sterile
and used only one time, making it impossible to contract
a disease from the process.
How
does the Procedure Work?
Blood
is drawn from your arm through sterile tubing into a
centrifuge. The centrifuge spins the blood to separate
the components, which vary in weight and density. A
port is opened along the spinning tubing at the level
containing platelets. These platelets are drawn into
a collection bag, while the remaining blood components
(red cells and plasma) are returned to you through your
other arm.
How
Long does it Take?
Depending
on your weight, height and Platelet count, the
donation procedure will take approximately 90 minutes
to 2 hours. All apheresis donations are collected while you
sit in a state-of-the-art "e-chair" where you may watch television,
videos, listen to music, surf the internet, or simply sit back
and relax while helping save a life.
How
Can I Become a
Plateletpheresis
Donor?
Call
the Central California Blood Center at (559) 224-2900
ext. 3016 for more information or to make an appointment.
|
Donating
Plasma |
PLASMA
Plasmapheresis is the selective removal of just the
plasma (liquid) component of the blood. In the process, the donor's blood is drawn and
passed through a machine which separates the components,
removes the plasma and returns the red cells back to the
donor.
Q:
Why are Plasma Donations Important?
A: Over 40 million hospital patients use
plasma products each year and the need for these
products is growing in the Central Valley. Newborn
babies, Leukemia patients, burn victims, trauma
patients, hemophiliacs and transplant or cardiovascular
surgery patients use plasma to help them recover from
their illness or injury. Plasma improves a
patient's ability to stop bleeding by supplementing
clotting factors, and it restores blood volume to the
patient. Burn victims can often use several
hundred units of plasma during their recovery period.
Q:
Why are Donors with Type AB Blood Important for Plasma
Donations?
A: Type AB donors are considered the
universal plasma donor as their plasma can be given
safely to any patient regardless of their blood type.
However, red blood cells from type AB donors can only be
received by 3-4% of patients. Plasma is the most
important component our community needs from type AB
donors.
Q:
How Long Does it Take to Donate Plasma?
A: The entire donation process, including
screening, takes about one hour (roughly 15 minutes more
than a whole blood donation), 30 to 35 minutes of
the donation process is spent on the plasma machine.
Q:
How Does the Plasma Machine Work?
A: After you sit in the chair, a needle is
placed in your vein and your blood is pumped into a
specialized spinning device that separates the plasma
from the other whole blood components, such as red and
white blood cells and platelets. While the plasma
is collected, the other blood components are filtered
into a reservoir. The red and white blood cells
and platelets are then returned to your body.
Q:
Who can Donate?
A: The donation criteria are the same for
whole blood; therefore, donors must be at least
17-years-old, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, and be in
good general health. Donors will still complete
the screening process, as with whole blood.
Q:
How Often Can I Give Plasma?
A: You can donate plasma every 28 days instead
of every 56 days, as with whole blood. Plasma can
be donated more frequently because the body replaces
plasma within a 24-hour period.
Q:
How Can I Make an Appointment?
A: Call the Central California Blood Center at
(559) 224-2900, extension 3016. |
