Blood plasma is the liquid part of the whole blood. Let’s go into the depth and learn What is blood plasma?
Characteristics of blood plasma
It is the straw-colored or yellow-colored fluid present in the blood, which constitutes 55% of whole blood, and it is composed of 91 -92 % of water, lipids, hormones, enzymes, Vitamins, and electrolytes like sodium, potassium, chloride, and calcium help maintain blood ph. And rest of the part of the blood contains
· Coagulants like fibrinogen help blood clotting by activating an enzyme that again activates the platelets to rush over the injurious site. ,
· Proteins like
– albumin: provides colloidal osmotic pressure thus preventing plasma loss
– globulin: performs enzymatic functions
– Fibrinogen: form blood clots to repair blood leaks
· Immunoglobulins are antibodies made of glycoproteins,
· They particularly help in recognizing and binding bacteria and viruses and help to protect from infectious agents by their destruction and help in normal liver functions)
· simply we can say it aids in immunity.
Role of blood plasma
It provides immunity, maintenance of body pH, maintenance of blood pressure and blood volume, and also helps in the transportation of nutrients, hormones,
and wastes within the body through the circulatory system.
Blood transfusion
It is a process of giving blood and its parts through the intravenous route to a person.
Parts or components of blood that can be donated
· Cryoprecipitate: Helps in the blood clot.
· Plasma: if your body is unable to carry essential nutrients helps to carry nutrients.
· Platelets: Help in blood clots by preventing extra loss ( If you plan to donate platelets you need to have stopped using aspirin or aspirin-containing medicine 48 h before blood transfusion)
· Red blood cells: Carry oxygen throughout the body.
Why would a patient need a blood transfusion?
A person needs a blood transfusion when there is a lack of some essential clotting or bleeding factors, lack of blood volume due to any disease or starvation, and in this way it helps to boost the body’s condition.
Diseases that can be treated with blood plasma
Usually, it is not common to treat diseases with blood plasma but certain conditions proceed to severe major losses of the one’s body and may lead to death. Those conditions are severe injuries, burns, surgeries, hypovolemic conditions like anemia, congestive heart failure, acute blood losses, cancer, hemophilia ( hemophilia A & hemophilia B), sickle cell anemia, acute respiratory disease, severe liver diseases, clotting and bleeding factor deficiencies, shock patients ( by increasing blood volume), and congenital diseases. These conditions can be restricted by plasma treatment.
Plasma treatments
-Alpha-1 Proteinase Inhibitor therapies are used to medicate:
· Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
-C1 Esterase Inhibitor therapies are used to medicate:
· Hereditary Angioedema
-Coagulation Factors are used to medicate:
· Hemophilia A (hereditary bleeding disorder)
· Hemophilia B ( bleeding disorder due to lack of protein factor IX)
· Von Willebrand Disease
· Antithrombin III Deficiency
-Immune Globulins are used to medicate:
· Primary Immunodeficiency Disease (PID)
· Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)
· Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
· Kawasaki Disease
Conditions of plasma donation
According to some studies, the donor should meet some requirements to donate blood. They are :
· A donor should have a medical report showing the health progress of the donor (including blood tests, HIV tests, and liver tests.
· Should not be overweight ( 110 pounds is considerable)
· The preferred age is over 18
· Prevented from any the harmful toxin, parasites, bacteria, or viruses that may be transmissible through blood and
· The donor should have healthy blood pressure and blood pH.
Can a person donate blood/plasma if he or she is on antibiotics?
No! you can not donate blood plasma while using antibiotics because the antibiotics you are using may cause allergic reactions and several other adverse effects on the recipient. It is preferred to donate blood after the complete recovery from that particular disease or any condition.
When to donate blood plasma after recovering from disease?
Well, it’s mostly dependent upon the type of antibiotics some are supposed to donate blood after 1 week or 5 days after leaving antibiotics to prevent residues that may be present in blood plasma to some extent. While some are supposed to donate even after 24 hours of antibiotics. But some studies show if you are using antibiotics for mild conditions like acne, and other chronic conditions, you can donate blood.
Benefits of donating blood
· Lowers risk of the cardiovascular system
· Helps in weight loss
· Lowers risk of cancer ( by decreasing iron level above normal)
· Lowers the risk of stroke
· Promotes formation of new blood cells
· Decrease cholesterol level
· Prevents hemochromatosis ( a condition in which an excessive amount of iron is utilized by the body)
Precautions before blood transfusion
There are some antibiotics far away that can prevent post-blood transfusion reactions, the use of premedication with acetaminophen and diphenhydramine can reduce the incidence of FNHTR and allergic reactions to blood products; it is used in 50% to 80% of transfusions in the US and Canada.
What is FNHTR?
Febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reaction (FNHTR) is the most common type of blood transfusion reaction. It is a benign occurrence that show symptoms like fever but is not directly related to cause hemolysis.
Antibiotics that prohibit blood donation
· Accutane,
· Anti-platelet medication,
· Bovine insulin,
· Hepatitis B immune globulin,
· Avodart and
Blood thinners (such as coumadin, heparin, Lovenox,
· Warfarin) they aid in bleeding
FAQ’S
Q1 what if a person donates blood while using antibiotics?
Answer: It may cause chronic allergy and other adverse effects that may lead to late recovery after blood receiving (which is normally 24 – 48 hours).
Q2 Why plasma is most preferred over whole blood?
Answer: The whole blood plasma causes acute respiratory distress, and pulmonary edema and increases blood pressure and other complications.
Q3 What kind of reactions can happen from a blood transfusion?
Answer: People can react in different ways to blood transfusions mainly depending upon one’s body’s condition. Reactions people undergo may include dyspnea, fever, dizziness, chills, or low blood pressure.
Q4 What if the blood group is mismatched?
· Answer: Hemolytic reaction occurs which destroys the body cells of the recipient and may cause death.
