Donated whole blood and plasma is a lifesaving treatment for patients with severe burns, trauma, bleeding disorders, and other injuries causing significant blood loss.
About Whole Blood Donation
Whole blood donation is a straightforward procedure that simply removes a portion of the donor's total blood volume. The donated blood is anticoagulated, screened for infectious diseases, and typed to determine safety and compatibility with potential recipients. Once safety and compatibility are established, whole blood can be transfused with minimal delay to patients experiencing blood loss for a variety of reasons such as surgery or trauma. Alternatively, whole blood can be processed to isolate individual components such as platelets, red blood cells, cryoprecipitate, or plasma that are used in specific medical situations such as cancer treatment, anemia, clotting disorders, and trauma.
About Plasma Donation
Plasma is the yellow liquid component of blood that remains after blood cells are removed. About 55% of your blood volume is made up of this important liquid. Plasma is rich in proteins, nutrients, and electrolytes. These components play important roles in maintaining blood pressure, pH, and ability to properly clot when injured. Thankfully, plasma can be easily donated. During plasma donation, blood flows from the donor's arm through equipment that separates the bloods cells and the plasma. The blood cells are mixed with saline to replace the plasma volume and then returned to donor. The plasma is stored until needed.
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