How Donating Blood Platelets Helps Those in Need

Donating blood platelets can help extremely ill patients recover their health. Platelets are a component of blood that helps with clotting. People who are receiving chemotherapy or other therapy involving radiation cannot create enough platelets with their own bodies, and without donated platelets their blood cannot clot properly. These patients are at risk for serious medical complications if they cannot get blood platelets from willing donors. Not long ago, blood services had to collect many donations from healthy people and then extract the small amount of platelets from each donation. Today, the most advanced collection services can extract the platelets from donated blood in seconds by cycling it through a special machine that then returns the remaining blood to the donor.
Blood platelet donation is simple and easy for a healthy person, and does not take very long. Platelet donation is very safe, and most blood services make sure their donors can relax during the process. The staff generally ask a few questions about the donor's medical history before checking blood pressure, temperature, and iron level. While the donor lays back in a comfortable chair, the staff will insert a needle for the blood drawing process. It takes about three hours to donate blood platelets because the donor's blood must be run through a special machine that separates the platelets from the rest of the blood. Only a small amount of blood is removed from the donor's body at a time, about half a pint, and the rest of the blood is returned to the donor once the platelets have been removed.
Blood platelets are essential for cancer patients and other seriously ill people, and hospitals and blood services know how important their donors are. The platelet donation process should be relaxing and comfortable, many donation centers offer televisions, DVD players, magazines and books, and headphones to help keep their donors entertained. The donation process is also completely safe thanks to disposable, single use equipment. Many blood services also offer snacks and beverages for their donors after the donation process, and can answer questions about blood types and test results. Blood platelet donation can be a relaxing way to spend an afternoon while saving a life.
Currently, the availability of professional outsourced blood collection and storage services is making donation much simpler and affordable for healthcare employees and the institutions they manage. In the event, biological products are needed at any time of day or night they are a mere phone call away at a secure and conditioned location.


View the original article here