Blood Donation
Types of Blood Donor
Giving the right type of donation helps the best use of your valuable contribution.
Voluntary Donation
A person who gives blood of his/her own free will and receives no payment for it, either in the form of cash or in-kind which could be considered a substitute for money.
Direct Donations
Subject to all testing requirements of other donations, and if for some reason they are not or cannot be utilized by the patient, they may be made available for other patients in need.
Autologous Donations
Not subject to the same testing criteria as other donations, and therefore, they are available only for the patient from whom they were collected.
Apheresis Donations (Platelets Donation)
What is Apheresis?
Apheresis is the process by which Platelets and other specific blood components (red cells or plasma) are collected from a Donor. The word “Apheresis” is derived from the Greek word aphaeresis meaning “to take away”. This process is accomplished by using a machine called a Apheresis Machine. Blood is drawn from the Donor and the Platelets, or another blood component, are collected by the Apheresis Machine and the remaining components of the blood are returned to the Donor during the donation. Each Apheresis donation procedure takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Platelets are tiny, colorless, disc-shaped particles circulating in the blood, and they are essential for normal blood clotting. Platelets are critically important to the survival of many patients with clotting problems (Aplastic anemia, leukemia) or cancer, and patients who will undergo organ transplants or major surgeries like heart bypass grafts. Platelets can only be stored for five days after being collected. Maintaining an adequate supply of this lifesaving, perishable product is an ongoing challenge.
Every 3 days up to 24 Apheresis donations can be made in a year.