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Apheresis is a medical procedure where a blood donor receives blood back after a component has been extracted. The most common forms are plasmapheresis, plateletpheresis, and leukapheresis. It is done to remove or donate specific blood components and is performed when target constituents in a patient’s blood cause severe disease symptoms.
Apheresis is a medical procedure in which a blood donor receives blood back once a component has been extracted. The other blood components, including red blood cells, are still intact. Although any part of the blood can be separated, the most common forms of apheresis are plasmapheresis, plateletpheresis, and leukapheresis. Apheresis is usually performed because some of a patient’s blood is causing health problems or because a donor wants to donate a needed blood component.
When a person’s blood has a high platelet count, for example, it can lead to an increased risk of blood clots. Platelet apheresis can be done to remove some of the platelets and reduce this risk. Other people don’t have enough platelets in their blood, and those donated by others via apheresis can be transfused to help the blood clot properly.
Almost anyone over the age of 18 can donate blood. A donor must weigh at least 110 pounds (50 kg) and must have donated blood within the past two years. The previous blood donation must have had good blood flow and the donor must have had no adverse reactions. Only people with certain blood types can donate specific blood components; people who donate plasma, for example, must be type A, B or AB, Rh positive or negative.
The procedure for apheresis donation is very similar to a normal blood donation. The blood will be extracted from the arm through a sterile, single-use kit housed in a special machine. The machine is called a cell separator. The cell sorter removes the necessary components from the blood using another machine called a centrifuge. The remaining blood is returned to the donor using the same needle.
During the procedure, citrate is added to the blood to prevent the blood from clotting while it is outside the body. A small amount of citrate returns to the donor. This can cause a cold, tingling sensation around the mouth area during the donation, but this usually goes away quickly. Citrate is broken down very quickly once it enters the bloodstream.
Apheresis is often performed when target constituents in a patient’s blood cause severe disease symptoms, such as bleeding problems or diseases such as cancer. This procedure must be done quite often. As this is an invasive procedure, it is only performed if all other means of controlling the disease have failed. It is also done if the symptoms of a disease are so severe that there is a risk of complications or suffering while waiting for the drug to work.
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