What Is Plasma? - Stanford Children's Health

Plasma is the largest part of your blood. It, makes up more than half (about 55%) of its overall content. When separated from the rest of the blood, plasma is a ... nutch_noindexSearchTermMenuButtonDonateContactMyChartLoginFindaDoctorSecondOpinionDonateContactReferaPatientEnEspañolOurLocationsMedicalServicesAboutUsResearch&InnovationPatients&VisitorsForHealthProfessionalsSecondOpinionDonateEnEspañolMyChartLoginRecentlyVisitedOurLocationsMedicalServicesAboutUsResearch&InnovationPatients&VisitorsForHealthProfessionalsSearchTermCANCELViewMoreResultsLoading...Thelatestinformationaboutthe2019NovelCoronavirus,includingvaccineclinicsforchildrenages5yearsoldandolder.LainformaciónmásrecientesobreelnuevoCoronavirusde2019,incluidaslasclínicasdevacunaciónparaniñosde5añosenadelante./nutch_noindex   WhatIsPlasma? Plasmaistheoftenforgottenpartofblood.Whitebloodcells,redbloodcells,andplateletsareimportanttobodyfunction.Butplasmaalsoplaysakeyrole.Thisfluidcarriesthebloodcomponentsthroughoutthebody. Factsaboutplasma Plasmaisthelargestpartofyourblood.It,makesupmorethanhalf(about55%)ofitsoverallcontent.Whenseparatedfromtherestoftheblood,plasmaisalightyellowliquid.Plasmacarrieswater,saltsandenzymes. Themainroleofplasmaistotakenutrients,hormones,andproteinstothepartsofthebodythatneedit.Cellsalsoputtheirwasteproductsintotheplasma.Theplasmathenhelpsremovethiswastefromthebody.Bloodplasmaalsocarriesallpartsofthebloodthroughyourcirculatorysystem. Howdoesplasmakeepyouhealthy? Plasmaisacriticalpartofthetreatmentformanyserioushealthproblems.Thisiswhythereareblooddrivesaskingpeopletodonatebloodplasma. Alongwithwater,salt,andenzymes,plasmaalsocontainsimportantcomponents.Theseincludeantibodies,clottingfactors,andtheproteinsalbuminandfibrinogen.Whenyoudonateblood,healthcareproviderscanseparatethesevitalpartsfromyourplasma.Thesepartscanthenbeconcentratedintovariousproducts.Theseproductsarethenusedastreatmentsthatcanhelpsavethelivesofpeoplesufferingfromburns,shock,trauma,andothermedicalemergencies. Theproteinsandantibodiesinplasmaarealsousedintherapiesforrarechronicconditions.Theseincludeautoimmunedisordersandhemophilia.Peoplewiththeseconditionscanlivelongandproductivelivesbecauseofthetreatments.Infact,somehealthorganizationscallplasma"thegiftoflife." Donatingplasma Ifyouwanttodonateplasmatohelpothersinneed,youwillgothroughascreeningprocess.Thisistomakesureyourbloodishealthyandsafe.Ifyouqualifyasaplasmadonor,you'llspendaboutanhourandahalfatacliniconeveryfollow-upvisit. Duringtheactualblooddonationprocess,yourbloodisdrawnthroughaneedleplacedinaveininonearm.Aspecialmachineseparatestheplasmaandoftentheplateletsfromyourbloodsample.Thisprocessiscalledplasmapheresis.Theremainingredbloodcellsandotherbloodcomponentsarethenreturnedtoyourbody,alongwithalittlesaline(salt) solution. PeoplewiththebloodtypeABareinthegreatestdemandforplasmadonation.Theymakeupjust2in50people,theirplasmaisuniversal.Thismeanstheirplasmacanbeusedbyanyone. Atnoncommercialdonationsites,peoplecandonateplasmaevery28days,upto13timesayear.Tolearnmoreaboutdonatingblood,visittheAmericanRedCross.  RelatedTopicsWhatIsPlasma? RelatedLinksPediatricBloodlessSurgeryProgramBenefitsofBloodlessSurgeryPediatricHeartSurgery nutch_noindex /nutch_noindexshareprint