Why are platelets important?
Platelets aid in the clotting process to prevent or stop bleeding and provide supportive treatment for patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer or leukemia or replace depleted platelet levels due to severe or chronic bleeding seen in other life-threatening conditions. Because platelets are used to treat numerous serious health problems, they can often mean the difference between life and death. Normally, platelets from four to six whole blood donations are required to achieve a therapeutic benefit from a single transfusion. Because healthy people have an abundance of platelets, the harvesting of platelets via apheresis methods yields enough platelets in a single donation to achieve a therapeutic transfusion without risk to the donor. Unlike red blood cells, which may be transfused up to 42 days after donation, platelets must be transfused within five days. That’s why platelet donors are so important. Current usage literally takes each platelet product we can collect. When you donate
