Plasma donations can reduce blood shortage
Alternative to blood donations
The Blood Transfusion Service of Namibia (NamBTS) hopes to reduce the high demand for blood with the donation and transfusion of blood plasma.NamBTS liaison officer Titus Shivute believes this is still far beyond their reach as NamBTS still achieves about 10% of their daily target for blood donations. “We get an average of 20 blood donations a day, but the demand is significantly higher as we need about 200 blood units to meet the demand,” he says.
Although it is possible to separate blood plasma from blood donations, treating blood donations with citrate (to prevent thickening and blood clots) can make this process more complicated.
Shivute says six units of blood are needed to deliver platelets equivalent to one platelet donation. Platelet donations are usually earmarked for leukaemia and cancer patients.
Blood plasma and platelet donations can currently only be done at NamBTS's head office in Windhoek. This is currently hampering NamBTS's efforts to alleviate the pressure on blood donations.
To donate blood plasma, donors must have already made one blood donation, be between the ages of 18 and 65 and weigh more than 55 kilograms.
Shivute recommends that enough fluid be ingested before a blood plasma donation and that the donor eat at least 3 to 4 hours before the time.
The A and B blood groups (A, B and AB positive and negative) can donate blood plasma.
Plasma donors can donate every 14 days, compared to the waiting period of 56 days after a blood donation, which means more plasma donations can be taken each year.
Shivute says various components of blood plasma can be separated to produce a variety of concentrates that can treat all kinds of medical ailments, including burns, shock and trauma injuries.