Published on
Updated
Reading 2 min.
Every year, on June 14, World Blood Donor Day serves as a reminder of the importance of blood donations, particularly before the summer period. But did you know that it is possible to make other donations? A brief overview of the question.
On this day of June 14, the French Blood Establishment (EFS) celebrates World Blood Donor Day. This precious donation helps save the lives of thousands of people each year, victims of a road accident or hemorrhage during a surgical procedure. The EFS estimates that 10,000 blood donations are needed per day to save lives.
Beyond blood donation, plasma donation
Unlike blood donation, which only takes around ten minutes, plasma donation takes longer, around 45 minutes and is carried out by appointment, with the same preliminary steps as a blood donation. It is essential for preparing therapeutic products, but also for directly treating patients, serious burn victims for example or hemophiliacs. Indeed, a lack of plasma leads, in patients, to a reduction in immune defenses and blood clotting abnormalities.
The plasma donation is carried out by plasmapheresis and the collection is done by a machine which will collect only the plasma, using a centrifugation method. This makes it possible to recover a quantity three to four times greater than a traditional blood donation, without the donor losing any red blood cells, which are reinjected.
To donate plasma, you must be aged 18 to 65 and be medically recognized as being able to do so. All blood groups can make this donation, even if the rarer group AB is particularly sought after.
…And that of platelets!
In addition to the two previous donations, it is possible to make a third: the platelet donation. Platelets are blood cells produced by the bone marrow and allow blood to clot to stop bleeding. The shelf life of the pads is only 5 days, so it is impossible to stock up on them. However, this donation is intended for people affected by hematological diseases or certain cancers, during chemotherapy treatments for example, who need it constantly. A regular flow of donors is therefore necessary.
Platelet donation is also done by appointment, with the same steps beforehand as donating blood. The blood collected goes through a special machine, which only collects the platelets. The donation lasts between one and two hours. It is open to all healthy people aged 18 to 65.