Types of Donation
Whole Blood Donation: Whole blood is the most common form of blood donation. It takes about one hour - including interview and refreshment period - and you can donate whole blood at a blood drive or at the blood center. In a whole blood donation, a single unit (about one pint) is collected from one arm. You can donate whole blood every 56 days. Volunteer blood donors must be at least 17 years old, or 16 with written parental consent, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. Whole blood is rarely transfused to patients. More commonly "blood component therapy" is used in hospitals, meaning a component of the whole blood is used (platelets, red cells, or plasma). This means your whole blood donation can help several people!
APHERESIS DONATION
When you donate a unit of whole blood you actually donate a number of components that are needed by patients being treated for different reasons. That whole blood donation will be separated into individual components such as platelets, plasma, red blood cells, cryoprecipitate in our laboratory.
In a 450ml donation of whole blood there will be approximately 248ml of plasma, 198ml of red blood cells and about 5ml of platelets. This is not a very efficient way to collect platelets, so we use a process called apheresis in which the components are separated while you donate and you receive the unused components back. This allows us to manage an inventory of multiple components efficiently and minimize the chances of your donation going unused.
DOUBLE RED CELL DONATION: During a double red cell apheresis donation, whole blood is collected from one arm and goes into a machine called a "cell separator." The machine separates blood components and collects a measured amount of a specific component (in this case, red cells) into a special bag. Then the remaining components are mixed with a saline solution and returned to the donor. For a man to donate, he must be at least 5'1" tall and weigh 130 pounds; a woman must be at least 5'5" tall and weigh 150 pounds. The oxygen-rich red cells are most often used for surgery or trauma patients, but there is a 112-day deferral period between donations and donors are only allowed three of these donations per year.
It takes about 75 minutes (including interview and refreshment), but there are some benefits to the apheresis procedure:
In a 450ml donation of whole blood there will be approximately 248ml of plasma, 198ml of red blood cells and about 5ml of platelets. This is not a very efficient way to collect platelets, so we use a process called apheresis in which the components are separated while you donate and you receive the unused components back. This allows us to manage an inventory of multiple components efficiently and minimize the chances of your donation going unused.
DOUBLE RED CELL DONATION: During a double red cell apheresis donation, whole blood is collected from one arm and goes into a machine called a "cell separator." The machine separates blood components and collects a measured amount of a specific component (in this case, red cells) into a special bag. Then the remaining components are mixed with a saline solution and returned to the donor. For a man to donate, he must be at least 5'1" tall and weigh 130 pounds; a woman must be at least 5'5" tall and weigh 150 pounds. The oxygen-rich red cells are most often used for surgery or trauma patients, but there is a 112-day deferral period between donations and donors are only allowed three of these donations per year.
It takes about 75 minutes (including interview and refreshment), but there are some benefits to the apheresis procedure:
- the saline solution leaves you more hydrated after the donation
- the apheresis process uses a smaller needle
- donors aren't called as often due to the longer deferral period
PLASMA BY APHERESIS:
Plasma Donation for Transfusion: Plasma is the liquid portion of your blood and is used in the treatment of bleeding, clotting problems, and trauma. It can also be transfused to help organ transplant recipients and premature infants. We encourage AB-positive & AB-negative men to consider plasma donations since AB plasma is the universal donor type and, in an emergency, can be transfused to people of any blood type. The plasma donation process takes roughly 90 minutes and, like platelets, plasma replenishes very quickly. You may donate plasma as frequently as once every 28 days.
Paid Plasma Donation: Plasma can be turned into life saving medicines such as albumin and fibrinogen in a process called fractionation. Most fractionation is conducted in Europe where a shortage of donors means that plasma is needed for import from the United States. Much of the medicine is returned to the US for patients here.
Because of the processing involved, donor standards are significantly different for plasma for further manufacture than standards for donors donating plasma for transfusion directly to patients - This is why for-profit plasma centers are allowed to pay their "donors".
NCCBB collects plasma for transfusion and does not pay donors
Because of the processing involved, donor standards are significantly different for plasma for further manufacture than standards for donors donating plasma for transfusion directly to patients - This is why for-profit plasma centers are allowed to pay their "donors".
NCCBB collects plasma for transfusion and does not pay donors