Donating Platelets

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 to survive.

Because platelets must be transfused within five days of the donation, the need for platelet donations is vast and 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

Why Collect Components instead of Whole Blood?

Different patients need different types of blood components, depending on their illness or injury. After you donate whole blood, the unit is separated into platelets, red cells and plasma in our laboratory. Only two tablespoons of platelets are collected from a whole blood donation. Six whole blood donations must be separated and pooled to provide a single platelet transfusion. However, one apheresis donation provides enough platelets for one complete transfusion – that’s six times the amount collected from a whole blood donation.

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 up into a collection bag, while the remaining blood components (red cells and plasma) are returned to the donor's blood stream.

How Long Does it Take?

Depending on your weight and height, the apheresis donation process will take approximately 70 minutes to two hours. You may watch television or videotapes, listen to music, or simply sit back and relax while helping to save a life.

Who Can be an Apheresis Donor?

If you meet the eligibility requirements for donating whole blood, you can probably give platelets. Apheresis donors must:

• be at least 17 years old, or 16 years old with parental permission
• be in good health
• weigh at least 110 pounds
• Medications: No aspirin or aspirin products can be taken 48 hours before donating, because aspirin affects platelets' ability to function properly. - Some other medications affect platelets and may result in a temporary inability to donate. Piroxicam (Feldene) use requires a 2-day deferral after stopping. The anti platelet drugs clopidogrel (Plavix), ticlodipine (Ticlid) and cilostazol (Pletal) require 14-day deferrals.
  - Ibuprofen Motrin, Advil and many other non-aspirin drugs are acceptable.
   

To be certain a medication is acceptable, call MVRBC and ask to speak to someone in Donor Record Logistics. Donors must never stop prescribed drugs in order to donate, unless they have cleared this with their doctor.

• Apheresis Donation Frequency: Once a week, up to 24 times a year. Our bodies are constantly replacing platelets. Healthy individuals have a surplus of platelets, so removal of this quantity has no adverse affects.
  - Wait 7 days after an apheresis donation to give whole blood.
  - Wait 56 days after a whole blood donation to donate apheresis.
  - Wait 28 days after a plasma product donation.
   

Are Apheresis Donations Safe?

Yes. Each donation is closely supervised throughout the procedure by trained staff. A small percentage of your platelets are collected, so there is no risk of bleeding problems. Your body will replace the donated platelets within 72 hours. The donation equipment (needle, tubing, collection bags) is sterile and discarded after every donation, making it virtually impossible to contract a disease from the process.

How Can I Become an Apheresis Donor?

For more information or to make an appointment, you may schedule online, call us at 800-747-5401 or write to donorsupport@mvrbc.org.