Types of Whole Blood Products and its Usage
When a person has an accident or is infected by any disease, and needs a blood transfusion, the doctors don’t give the whole blood. There are different components of blood that are delivered to the patient. This treatment is referred to as blood component therapy. Generally, one or multiple parts of blood are given depending on the reason for transfusion.
Whole blood consists of different blood parts, including Platelets, Red Blood Cells (RBCs), Albumin, Plasma, and Cryoprecipitate. It is best to use these products within a day of collection.
Furthermore, these products can also be stored for usage for up to three weeks. In such cases, the blood is combined with an anticoagulant and preservative during the collection process.
For platelet production from the blood, it is essential to keep it at room temperature throughout the process. This process must be carried out immediately to reduce the warm storage of RBCs in the unit.
Platelets
Platelets are cell fragments in our blood that are essential for blood clotting. They are colourless and also called thrombocytes, produced in our bone marrow. Platelets have a shelf life of 5 days and need to be stored at room temperature with constant gentle agitation. Maintaining such a temperature prevents the platelets from clumping.
Platelets are split from the whole blood using a centrifuge. Besides this, an apheresis machine can also be used to draw platelets from a donor’s arm, while the remaining blood is returned to the donor’s body. This procedure can be carried out for about four to six times for a donor to collect a unit of platelets from a whole blood donation.
Platelets play a vital role during cancer treatments and organ transplants. At the time of a surgical process, a condition of thrombocytopenia (a condition in which blood platelet count falls) is treated by the platelet transfusion.
Red Blood Cells (RBCs)
Red Blood Cells, also called erythrocytes, are produced in the bone marrow. Their function is to transport oxygen from the lungs to the other parts of the body. Along with carrying oxygen, it also delivers carbon dioxide to the lungs. Two to three drops of blood have around one billion blood cells.
Plasma is separated from the whole blood to produce Red Blood Cells. The shelf life of Red Blood Cells is up to 42 days. RBCs are used to treat blood disorders, such as sickle cell disease. Health conditions such as Anemia, trauma, or any blood loss can also be treated using Red Blood Cells.
An adult has a blood volume of approximately 5 litres, measured using components that are mixed with Red Blood Cells, such as phosphate, chromium, and iron, or elements mixed with plasma proteins.
Cryo
Cryoprecipitate Antihemophilic Factor (Cryo) is a part of plasma rich in clotting factors, including factor VIII, Fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, and factor XIII. These coagulation factors slow down or stop internal bleeding caused due to injury, therefore preventing or controlling the blood loss.
Cryo is stored in freezing conditions, and its shelf life is up to 1 year. Cryo is used for the treatment of hereditary conditions such as Hemophilia and Von Willebrand disease. Cryo is a rich source of Fibrinogen for patients whose own blood does not clot properly.
Plasma
Plasma is the liquid portion of the blood. The plasma suspends the platelets and white and Red Blood Cells that are carried throughout the body. Plasma is an essential component that serves various crucial functions in our bodies.
Plasma contains 92% water, 7% vital proteins such as gamma globulin, albumin, and anti-hemophilic factor. It also consists of 1% mineral salts, hormones, sugars, vitamins, and fats.
The functions of plasma include carrying vital proteins for immunity, blood clotting and maintaining sufficient blood pressure. Plasma plays a crucial role in maintaining a proper pH (acid-base) balance in the body, which is essential for cell function. It supplies electrolytes such as potassium and sodium to your muscles.
The liquid portion of the blood is separated from the cells to obtain plasma, which is stored frozen to retain its clotting factors.
The key usage of plasma includes treatment for multiple clotting factor deficiencies or severe liver disease. Plasma is also transfused to people having burn, shock, and trauma.
Albumin
Albumin is available in 2 formulations, namely, 4% and 20%. The 4% preparation can be used for treatment in the case of therapeutic plasmapheresis or hypoalbuminemia. The 20% preparation can be used to cure patients with severe burns or hypoalbuminemia.
Albumin is used to treat kidney disease and patients who are in acute renal failure or shock. When the urine output of a patient is low, this condition is treated using albumin administration. If the patient’s kidneys respond to fluid increase, then he will start producing more urine.
COVID IgG Panel
The SARS-CoV-2 IgG Validation Panel consists of non-contrived human specimens. It is designed for use with the Abbott Architect SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay. .The panel consists of 10 reactive SARS-CoV-2 IgG specimens and 10 non-reactive specimens. Each sample provided contains 500 uL.
Also available are a large number of clinically collected confirmed positive COVID-19 samples. These are from PCR positive subjects and are data-rich.
CoV2 IgG, IgM IgA reactive controls samples
We have available a limited volume of CoV-2 IgG, IgM and IgA reactive controls with the corresponding reactivities and data on the following:
Anti-CoV2 Nucleoprotein IgG, IgM, and IgA
Anti-CoV2 Spikeprotein S1 IgG, IgM and IgA
Anti-CoV2 Spikeprotein S2 IgG, IgM and IgA
Helvetica Health Care can source a range of clinical/biological samples with needed characterization, special material including POSITIVE HUMAN BLOOD, PLASMA and SERUM, as well as BIOPSY SAMPLES.
This includes access to large volumes of high-grade Human Serum either pooled or individual, as well as negative plasma in EDTA or Citrate. High titre HBV Subtype Ad plasma is also available.
To know more about the specifications of blood products and blood test kits, contact Helvetica Health Care today!