Article updated on March 23, 2024
Plasma donation (Plasphameresis)
Donating blood is not just a splendid act of solidarity towards others, but it is also a way of taking ourselves take care of yourself.
In fact, if on the one hand depriving ourselves of a small quantity of blood allows us to save lives that would otherwise be in danger, on the other hand our organism is forced to produce new blood material, thus allowing the qualitative regeneration of the same.
The protagonists
Although inside our blood vessels (arteries, capillaries and veins) it flows “only” bloodit is essential to know what this liquid is result of union between red blood cells (dissolved in a percentage of 44%), white blood cells and platelets (present for approximately 1%) and plasma (component of the remaining 55%).
The maximum quantity of material that can be withdrawn during a single session varies depending on the purpose: we are talking about 450 mL (about 10% of the total blood circulating in an adult) for whole blood, and 600 mL for plasma.
The time required for the individual operations also varies: on average 15 minutes in the first case and 45 minutes for the second.
How does plasmapheresis work?
The division activity is called “feresi” is “afresi”, and results in the targeted separation of the desired material: whether platelets, red blood cells, white blood cells or plasma, everything can be split.
Extraction of plasma alone is called plasmapheresis e, unlike whole bloodrequires a more complex procedure since it is composed of a withdrawal activity, a consecutive separation activity, and the final reinfusion of the material useful for recirculation (concentrated red blood cells and the unfractionated part of plasma).
It was tested for the first time in 1959, at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles (USA), and a lethal thrombotic pathology was successfully resolved in the patient undergoing plasmapheresis.
Therefore there are two reasons why to undergo plasmapheresis: either because you choose the donation route, or because you need to dispose of your own (because you are sick) to be replaced with a healthy and clean one.
The process is longer of blood donation alone because, in addition to having to carry out the three operations mentioned above, it involves small quantities of blood at a time: it is a long process, but it is painstaking.
There are two methodologies used to separate blood contents: by centrifuge or by filtration.
The centrifuge carries out the split by exploiting the characteristic of the different density of the elements. There filtrationinstead, uses a real filter to retain the plasma component.
If it is a donor, therefore, during the plasmapheresis process only the healthy material will be removed; in the case of a patient, however, during the same operation the diseased plasma will be removed and the healthy plasma will be replaced through infusion.
Why undergo plasmapheresis?
To decide to undergo such a laborious process you need to have a very specific purpose: either you are altruistic volunteers who understand the importance of the act of giving, or you are in need of receiving it to avoid the onset of potentially lethal pathologies, or you want to carry out theself-donationthus enriching one’s own plasma through the infusion of previously self-extracted plasma material.
Generally the plasmapheresis operation sIt makes it necessary for patients with certain dysfunctionssuch as autoimmune or alloimmune pathologies, increased plasma viscosity, hyperproduction of endogenous substances, or being victims of poisoning, or affected by septicemia or other rare diseases that require the application of this procedure tout court (such as Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura ).
Having diseased plasma circulating in your body can favor the onset of various pathologies probably severe:
pathologies affecting the nervous and cerebral system (e.g. Guillain-Barré syndrome); blood disorders (linked to thrombotic and coagulant situations); kidney disorders (e.g. Goodpasture syndrome); hyperviscosity syndromes, including myeloma, which lead to blood thickening to the point of causing damage to internal organs, or strokes, or otherwise heart attacks. Here, by undergoing plasmapheresisnot only is it possible prevent the onset of muscular-neural pathologiesbut you can also avoid (through self-infusion) the rejection mechanism and the consequent creation of harmful antibodies.
In other cases the plasmapheresis process can be part of a treatment plan following medical prophylaxis, such as following chemotherapy. In this case, plasma infusions will be regular and necessary.
What does the whole procedure consist of?
Plasmapheresis requires the insertion of two venous accesses: the first deputy to withdrawalthe second necessary to reintegrationall in an uninterrupted cycle.
The blood material, depending on the machinery supplied, will be subjected to either centrifuge by density or filtration.
In both cases the components will be divided into plasma and cellular contents in a special separator.
While the cellular component will be reintroduced as is into the organismonly the plasma part will be subjected to subtraction (conveying it into a waste bag) and replaced with new and enriched material.
In this case, depending on the pathology suffered by the patient, plasma material derived either from fresh frozen plasma or composed of a physiological solution added with 4% purified human albumin will be reintroduced.
We also resort to the use of anticoagulant substancesso that the blood maintains the right level of liquidity and does not run the risk of creating small clots within the separation mechanism.
Although they are preferred venous accesses of the upper limbs, in the presence of particular difficulties, healthcare personnel may opt for the insertion of a central venous catheter in order to guarantee rapid and safe access to the blood circulation.
Should this procedure become necessary, it will be performed under local anesthesia and will be left in place for the time necessary to complete the plasmapheresis treatment.
As medical prophylaxis prescribes, disposable consumables, disposable needles and sterile filters will be used throughout the medical process.
How should I prepare?
It is good undergo preliminary checks that show certain blood values (such as complete blood count, creatinine, urea nitrogen, electrolytes, GOT, GPT and haemostatic picture) together with a Electrocardiogram (ECG).
In fact, if specific deficiencies were to emerge, they would be reintegrated with intravenous reinfusion or transfusion.
You arrive at the appointment having already done one light breakfastand during the treatment you can also eat some tasty food.
Comfortable clothing is also recommended, but for the sole purpose of making the time required for the entire process more comfortable.
It is advisable to arrive at the hospital or at the chosen clinic accompanied by third parties, in case you then feel harmless tiredness.
If there are pharmacological therapies in progress, it is also a good idea to remind the healthcare personnel responsible for the operation of this, so that they can take any necessary precautions. Generally speaking, there is no need to suspend pharmacological treatment for that day.
And then?
At the end of the plasmapheresis operation you can go home without any problem since day hospital is not provided, unless there are other pathologies being treated that require it.
You may feel sensations related to tiredness or slight muscle tingling, but they can be easily resolved by taking oral calcium.
It is advisable to rest for the next 12 hours in order to aid full physical recovery.
What kind of complications could arise?
The most widespread are those linked to the presence of hematomas that are located near the venous accessesand in any case they resolve within a few days.
Ito a lesser extent, tingling, chills, nausea and cramps occur, generally resulting from the anticoagulant liquid, which can be resolved by taking calcium gluconate.
Rarely do we witness events linked to an allergic reaction to the replacement fluid, or alteration of the heartbeat, or embolism and hemolysis.
We therefore recommend a good physical restas well as paying attention to any emerging symptoms that could arise in the following 12 hours, in order to be able to intervene effectively and efficiently.
Here you will find all the offers at low prices on Amazon