Whole Blood
Whole blood is the donation of blood cells and all their components. It is the most flexible and traditional type of donation.
Whole blood contains red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), platelets and plasma cells. A pint of blood is drawn, and it is used for surgery purposes.
The shelf life of the blood is 21-35 days and the regeneration period is 56 days.
Power Blood
Power blood donation is the donation of concentrated red cells. Only red cells are collected through an automated process, and other cells remain in the body.
Power blood donation is useful for newborn babies, trauma patients and people with sickle cell anaemia.
The regeneration period is 112 days. The shelf life is 42 days.
Platelet Blood
A platelet is a cell that is responsible for blood clotting and the bleeding to stop. The platelets are formed in the bone marrow. They are used for surgeries and in the transplantation process.
Platelets are also important for cancer patients who are in the chemotherapy. The shelf life of the platelet is only 5 days.
An Apheresis is a machine that collects platelets and some plasma. The other components of the cell are filtered.
Plasma Blood
Plasma is the colourless part of the blood. The plasma benefits people with bleeding disorders, and its shelf life is one year.
