The other day I signed up to give blood...my little part in the National Day Of Service. I've given blood before, but usually I've done it at the office or on the fly at a mobile unit somewhere. This was the first time giving at an actual blood bank center. I was going through the prep stage when I found out they didn't want my blood, but my plasma...the liquid portion of blood that carries nutrients and critical clotting factors.
My type is AB+ and only about three out of a hundred people have it. Only those other two people can take my blood. The good news is that we three can receive whole blood from anybody...doesn't matter what type: A, B, AB, O and positive or negative. So you see, it makes no sense to have a pint of AB+ blood hanging around. We wouldn't need it and nobody else does either. Much better to take my plasma for use. You see, our plasma happens to be "universal donor plasma", so it can be transfused into a patient of any blood group. It seems different patients need different types of blood components depending on their illness or injury, and receiving plasma from a single donor reduces the risk of an adverse transfusion reaction from several different donors.
This was actually news to me. At the bloodmobile they always took my blood. What I learned was that they took that whole blood because they didn't have the equipment to separate out the plasma. Once it got back to the lab, they did it.
Instead of a half hour, my donation would take an hour. No problem, said I. Was it a bigger needle? Now that would be a problem! No. So, OK, let's do it said I. Instead of a blood just draining into a little bag, my blood went into this film projector type machine where the red was separated from the white and then the red put back in me. Why don't you just keep the red too? We don't want it. I'd just as soon not get it back once it's been outside of me. You're getting it back...that's just the way it is.
It was interesting to watch the process. My red blood was pumped into the machine where it filled up a small reservoir. Once filled, it started to spin and out came a clear to yellowish fluid that drained into a collection bag. Then, when that was complete, the blood pressure band on my arm would relax and what was left of my blood got pumped back in me.
I could see the reservoir emptying out as it did. This cycle went on dozens of times until they got the amount they wanted.
Then, with the last one, the tube attached to my arm had clear stuff in it and the next thing I knew I was FREEZING. Turns out the clear stuff was saline and I guess because it wasn't the same temperature as my blood, it made me cold. You should have blankets, says I. Yeah, we should. But I could see that my suggestion wouldn't be acted on. Next time I'll know to bring a sweater.
Other than that, the whole thing was really no problem at all. I left feeling good for the giving...
