Plasma Donation

[Name9335, BSN, RN]

Hello everyone, I have a question, and I really don't know where else to post. I apologize if this isn't appropriate for this board. I KNOW you can't give medical advice. I am a nurse myself, albeit a baby nurse (not even a year in), but I am trying to wrap my mind around this issue.

Several months ago, I went to a plasma donation center, as I thought it would be a nice extra source of income, as well as being able to help others. I have donated blood with no issues. I do have several congenital heart defects, but none of them affect me. I don't have any restrictions, and I specifically got a letter from my cardiologist stating that I am perfectly fine to donate plasma as well as blood.

I get to the questions about issues with heart and lungs. I select yes, and am pulled aside to give more details. I am then informed that I will be permanently differed from donating plasma. I attempted to give them the letter from my cardiologist and they said it wouldn't matter.

This ticks me off to NO END. I was able to get a hold of a supervisor a week or so later to try to find out more information as the person in the facility couldn't give me a satisfactory answer. Neither could the supervisor. All she said was that it was "for my safety".

Again, I am a nurse. I have some healthcare knowledge, and I have been able/allowed to donate blood with NO ISSUES. I am having a really hard time comprehending what on earth would be so much more dangerous with donating plasma than blood. Does anyone have any insight into this? I would appreciate it very much.

Again, I am not asking for medical advice, just hoping for some insight, as my cardiologist has no clue why they would say this.

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

My guess is that it would put you at higher risk of clot formation, given that your blood would essentially be thicker for about 24 hours until your body had time to catch up, and that is why.

It also may be just their policy to safeguard patients and lower their own liability if something were to happen post donation. Policies are policies and they cannot break them, even with a note. Quite honestly I am not sure why you would be stressed out over such am minute thing. Please let it go and move on, there are much bigger worries in this world then not being able to donate plasma!

Annie

[Name9335, BSN, RN]

My guess is that it would put you at higher risk of clot formation, given that your blood would essentially be thicker for about 24 hours until your body had time to catch up, and that is why.

It also may be just their policy to safeguard patients and lower their own liability if something were to happen post donation. Policies are policies and they cannot break them, even with a note. Quite honestly I am not sure why you would be stressed out over such am minute thing. Please let it go and move on, there are much bigger worries in this world then not being able to donate plasma!

Annie

Thanks. That does make some sense! I have let go for the most part, but it still just seems super stupid to me. I have been looking for some more sources on income recently as I am wanting to save to get my own place and pay off loans. I know I can pick up extra shifts and I will, but just was looking for other options

[scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN]

You get paid to donate plasma??? I have never heard of this. Where?

[Flatline, BSN, RN]

You get paid to donate plasma??? I have never heard of this. Where?

You find these places usually in the ghetto. Depending on how often you donate and other certain factors you can get paid more money. I was paid $30 per donation but it went up to $150.

[Flatline, BSN, RN]

Donating plasma is an order of magnitude more complicated and dangerous that donating blood. When you donate blood they pull some whole blood and then that is it. They then spin down the blood into various basic components and sell it.

When you sell plasma it is more akin to hemodialysis (it isn't but for illustrative purposes we will say that). The machines that draw blood cycle back and forth extracting the plasma from the whole blood. They then take that plasma, spin it down, and extract the individual components largely for pharmaceutical use.

When you donate plasma it can take minutes or several hours depending. My wife would run for about an hour, I would run for 3-4.