Donor FAQs
How do I donate?
Who can donate?
How long does it take?
How often can I donate?
How is my plasma removed?
What happens to my plasma?
What is the average donation?
Is donation safe?
Does it hurt?
What kind of medical screening and testing is done?
What if I live outside of the U.S.?
Do you have a question?
How do I donate?
Much of the plasma donated for therapeutic use is collected in commercially-run, government regulated plasma collection centers. More than 330 licensed and International Quality Plasma Program (IQPP)-certified plasma collection centers are located in the United States. More than 25 centers are located in Germany, Austria and Canada.
Each company manages its operations differently, within government regulatory guidelines. For specific information such as center hours of operation, whether or not the center takes appointments and the compensation available for time and travel, please contact the center directly. To find a plasma collection center near you, please visit Find Donor Center.
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Who can donate?
Generally, plasma donors should be at least 18 years of age and weigh at least 110 pounds (50 kg). All individuals who donate plasma must pass two, separately administered medical examinations, a medical history screening, and testing for transmissible viruses, before their donated plasma can be used to manufacture plasma protein therapies. The age requirement may differ in some U.S. states and other nations, therefore it is important to check your state eligibility requirements for plasma donation.
The U.S. requires that all plasma donors submit to a pre-donation physical, including medical history questions, tests for transmissible viruses, total plasma protein levels and hematocrit/hemoglobin levels. The plasma protein therapeutics industry’s International Quality Plasma Program (IQPP) certification requires additional donor screening, donor education on rick behavior and residency requirements.
For more information about donor regulations and qualifications in the U.S. visit www.fda.gov. For more information about donating plasma, visit our FAQs or Find Donor Center.
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How long does it take?
To ensure that the donor meets the medical health screening and testing requirements, the first visit takes on average two to three hours. Subsequent visits, which are required (at least one) if the first donation is to be used to produce therapies, take about one and a half hours.
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How often can I donate?
The human body typically replaces plasma within approximately 48 hours, if the donor keeps a healthy diet that includes adequate amount of fluids and proteins. In the United States, federal regulations state that an individual may donate two times in a seven day period, with a minimum of two days in between donations.
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How is my plasma removed?
Donating plasma is similar to giving blood. A needle is placed in the vein of the arm and the whole blood is collected into a sterile, highly-specialized medical device. The plasma then is separated from the red blood cells and other cellular components, which are then returned to the donor, normally with sterile saline solution to help the body replace the plasma removed from the whole blood. This process is referred to as plasmapheresis.
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What is the average donation?
In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates how much plasma a person can donate. Donation may be made no more frequently than twice per week with no more frequently than twice per week with two days in between, and the amount a person can donate is predicated on weight:
110 – 149 lbs (50 to 80 kg) up to 625 mL (625 mL of plasma) (10% anticoagulant)
150 –174 lbs (70 to 80 kg) up to 750 mL (750 mL of plasma)
175 lbs. and up (over 80 kg) up to 880 mL (800 mL of plasma)
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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What happens to my plasma?
Nearly 500 different types of protein have been found in human blood plasma. The function of many of these proteins is unknown, and many are present in very small quantities. Approximately 150 proteins found in plasma are used in a laboratory setting for diagnosing disease or manufacturing therapies. The plasma protein therapeutics industry is able to separate out a number of these proteins, from which it can make a range of life-saving therapies including:
Albumin
One of the first human proteins to be used clinically was albumin. It was developed as a stable human plasma substitute to help wounded soldiers during World War II. Today, albumin is widely used in the treatment of shock, burns, adult respiratory distress syndrome and cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin is a protein found in tissue, which prevents it from being broken down by the body's natural enzymes. An inherited disorder (Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency) can lead to damage in the lungs (genetic COPD) and in the liver, and administration of this plasma protein therapy prevents such damage.
Coagulation (Clotting) Factors
Factors VIII and IX and von Willebrand Factor (vWF) are the major therapies derived from plasma that help those born with blood clotting disorders such as hemophilia. Other proteins involved in regulating the natural clotting process and that are manufactured into therapies are Factor XIII and Antithrombin. A fibrin sealant also is used to aid clotting and to close wounds during surgery.
Immunoglobulins
There are a number of circumstances in which individuals do not make sufficient antibodies (immunoglobulins) to protect themselves from infections. This may be because they are born with an inherited condition such as primary immunodeficiency or because another illness such as leukemia stops them from making antibodies. In these cases, it is necessary to provide a broad spectrum of such “polyvalent” antibodies from blood or plasma donors. Other people may develop harmful antibodies that attack their own tissues and therefore require immunoglobulins therapy.
Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS) is one such disease in which the electrical insulation of nerve cells is destroyed causing potentially fatal paralysis. Polyvalent immunoglobulins help to modify this autoimmune reaction and prevent progression of the disease. Other such conditions for which there is evidence of effectiveness are Kawasaki disease (that affects arteries) and a bleeding disease, Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), in which the clotting cells in the blood, platelets, are destroyed.
Whereas polyvalent immunoglobulins are needed on a long-term basis by relatively small numbers of people to keep healthy, a range of very specific antibodies (hyperimmune) are needed by a much wider population to prevent the development of disease in particular circumstances. For example, if a healthcare worker suffers a needle-stick injury, a specific Hepatitis B immunoglobulins can be given to neutralize any virus before it can cause disease. Gardeners who injure themselves may need an antitetanus immunoglobulins if their immunization has not been kept up-to-date. And the lives of many thousands of babies are saved every year worldwide through the routine prenatal administration of Anti-D immunoglobulins to pregnant women whose immune system might otherwise attack the red blood cells of their unborn children.
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Is donation safe?
Yes. Plasma donations made in International Quality Plasma Program (IQPP)-certified collection centers are performed in a highly-controlled, sterile environment by professionally trained medical staff. All plasma collection equipment is sterilized and equipment that is in contact with the donor's blood or plasma is used only once, eliminating the possibility of transmitting any viral infection.
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Does it hurt?
No. Most people who give plasma compare the experience of receiving the venipuncture or “blood draw” as similar to a mild bee sting. Donors also are required to submit to a finger stick test each time they present to donate in order for the collection center medical staff to evaluate and verify that their total protein and hematocrit are at the required levels. The plasmapheresis process, which can take up to an hour, is conducted in cycles. Whole blood is collected from the donor, separated into its component parts, and the plasma is then retained, while the other blood components are returned to the donor. Some donors report being a bit cold during the process, however, the temperature setting in the collection centers is cool in order to facilitate a sterile environment.
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What type of medical screening and testing is done?
The U.S. and most countries in Western Europe require that all plasma donors submit to a pre-donation physical, including medical history questions, tests for transmissible viruses such as Hepatitis B and C and HIV, total plasma protein levels and hematocrit/hemoglobin levels. The plasma protein therapeutics industry’s International Quality Plasma Program (IQPP)-certification requires additional donor screening, donor education on high risk behavior and residency requirements.
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What if I live outside of the U.S.?
If you live in Europe, please visit the www.emea.europe.eu for more information about plasma collection and how it is regulated. For a list of licensed and IQPP-certified centers in Europe, visit Find Donor Center.
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Do you have a question?
Visit Contact Us to email your question.
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