Anyone at least 18 years of age and who weighs at least 110 pounds. All individuals who donate plasma must pass a brief medical examination, extensive medical history screening, and testing for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. To ensure medical requirements, the first visit will take two to three hours. Subsequent visits will take one and a half hours.

What types of Medical Screening and Test?

The US requires all plasma donors to have a pre-donation physical, including medical history questions, tests for syphilis, hepatitis, HIV and AIDS, total plasma protein and hematocrit/hemoglobin levels, and urinalysis.

How often can Plasma be donated?

The body replaces the donated plasma usually within 24 to 48 hours if the donor keeps a healthy diet with an adequate amount of fluids and proteins. In the United States, a person may donate two times in every seven days, but not more than every other day. In absence of volume replacement not more than 600ml net volume of plasma should be removed. According the guidelines, plasma collection should not take place more often that every second week. No more than 15 liters of plasma a year should be collected from an individual donor. However, these recommendations are given for the collection of plasma for therapeutic use.

Current automated plasmapheresis donation systems (Plasma Collection Systems PCS2) and manufacturing supply requirements demand that donors visit a collection center up to twice per week. Donors are generally provided with between $15 and $25 USD compensation per donation. Each collection facility sets its own compensation.

How is the Plasma removed?

Donation plasma is similar to donation blood. A needle is placed in the vein of an arm and blood is collected in sterile equipment. The plasma is separated from the red blood cells. The red blood cells are returned to the donor often with sterile saline solution to help the body replace the plasma removed from the blood.

How much Plasma is needed?

Worldwide, the total demand for plasma by fractionators (Pharmaceutical companies who further manufacture plasma into plasma based therapies) exceeds 20 million liters. The amount collected by plasmapheresis is commercial plasma industry facilities is roughly 11 million liters from over 13 million donations. The remaining liters are recovered from whole blood donations at community or American Red Cross (ARC) blood banks around the world.

Can I get AIDS or other diseases from donation Plasma?

NO. Plasma donations are made in highly controlled, sterile environment by professionally trained staff. All plasma collection equipment is sterilized and equipment that gets in contact with the donor's blood or plasma is used only once, elimination the possibility of transmitting any viral infection.

What is Plasma used for?

Once the plasma is manufactured into lifesaving therapies produced by fractionation, these therapies help individuals who have one of the following conditions:

• Animal Bites (in the prevention of rabies)
• Bleeding Disorders (Hemophilia)
  
• Cardiopulmonary Needs
  
• Genetic Lung Disorders
  
• Hepatitis
  
• Immune System Deficiencies
  
• Pediatric HIV
  
• Recipients of Transplants
  
• Rh Incompatibility
  
• Serious Liver Conditions
  
• Shock
  
• Trauma