Is It Painful to Donate Plasma?

Overview

Plasma, the clear, yellowish-colored fluid component of blood, comprises 55 percent of the volume of the blood. The role of plasma in the body is to transport water and nutrients to all the cells. Plasma is 90 percent water and 10 percent protein and electrolytes, according to Biotest Pharmaceuticals.

College-aged youth may be first thought of when the topic of plasma donation is considered, but generally anyone age 18 years or over and weighing 110 pounds or more may be plasma donors.

Procedure

When donating plasma, the initial portion of the actual procedure is much like donating whole blood. You are asked general screening questions by an intake worker and a finger stick for a drop of blood will be performed. The finger stick is necessary to ensure your blood health is adequate for the purpose of donating plasma.

After the screening process, you are taken to the donation area. A needle is inserted into your arm for the collection of blood into a bag specific for plasma donation. All equipment is sterile and used only once, according to DonatingPlasma.org.

These two "sticks" are the only painful portion of the plasma donation procedure and are similar to the feeling of the needle insertion when blood is drawn for lab work or the needle stick when receiving an injection.

Process

The overall process involved in the donation of plasma is lengthy when compared to the process of donating whole blood.

You must submit to a general physical examination, tested for certain blood-transmissible diseases and provide answers to health questions before you may donate plasma for the first time. This part of the process may take one to three hours, according to DonatingPlasma.org.

Donating plasma takes an average of 60 to 90 minutes. Once your blood is obtained, then in a separate process that blood is separated into its various components. The plasma is collected, then the remainder of the components are returned to you, according to the American Red Cross.

Payment

Many of the licensed plasma collection centers offer payment to the donor due to the time involved in the donation process.

Frequency of Donation

The volume of plasma donated will be replenished by the body within 48 hours. "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," states DonatingPlasma.org.

Potential Side Effects

According to Biotest, a few people experience light-headedness during or after the collection of plasma. Slight bruising may occur at the needle insertion site.

Uses

There are multiple bio-pharmaceutical uses for the donated plasma--and for many of the individuals receiving a treatment based on the plasma, it is the only effective treatment available.

Products derived from plasma are used to aid hemophiliacs, burn victims and people who are experiencing shock due to loss of blood volume. Several globulins are also derived from the plasma and are used against rabies, tetanus and cytomegalovirus.