Donating Blood Components

With a method called apheresis (ay-fur-EE-sis), you can donate individual blood components like platelets, plasma, and red blood cells. A special machine separates out the needed component and returns the rest of the blood to you. The information below applies to plateletpheresis. For details regarding plasmapheresis or red-blood-cell aphaeresis, or to schedule an appointment to donate, please call Donor Services at the Michigan Blood location nearest you (toll-free in Michigan 1-866-MIBLOOD (642-5663)).

How It Works: 

• Blood goes from your arm through sterile tubing into a centrifuge
• Centrifuge spins the blood to separate components, which vary in weight and density
• Platelets are drawn up through a port into a collection bag
• The remaining blood components (red cells and plasma) return to you.

Apheresis Donor Requirements

• Healthy
• At least 17 years old
• No aspirin or aspirin-containing drugs in the past 48 hours
• Appointment required

The Importance of Apheresis Donation

Patients may need different blood components. Someone who is hemorrhaging may need platelets to help control bleeding and temporarily repair blood vessel damage. People being treated for cancer often need platelets because they can’t produce enough of these blood cells. Burn victims may need plasma to help replace blood volume and restore delivery of blood cells, nutrients, enzymes, and hormones throughout the body.

The Apheresis Advantage

Six times more platelets can be collected through apheresis than through whole-blood donation. The average whole-blood donation provides just 2 tablespoons of platelets, so platelets from multiple whole-blood donations must be pooled to get enough for one platelet transfusion. By contrast, one apheresis donation yields enough platelets to make an entire platelet transfusion. Because platelets last only 5 days, continual and abundant donations are needed to keep up with demand.