Plasma

Plasma is a clear, yellowish liquid part of the blood system. Plasma accounts for approximately 55% of your total blood volume and includes water, antibodies, clotting factors and other components. Its key objectives are to transport water and nutrients to your body’s tissues. The proteins in plasma also help to fight disease.The Canadian Blood Services collects and prepares various forms of plasma for transfusion in Canada.
Plasma is derived either from random donor plasma or apheresis donors. Plasma can be used for blood transfusion as frozen plasma which is frozen within 24 hours of collection or as Apheresis Fresh Frozen Plasma that is frozen within 8 hours of collection. A portion of plasma collections are directed to plasma fractionation plants to be processed and separated into specific products such as IVIG.
Link to statement from Canadian Blood Services regarding payment for plasma donation:
https://www.blood.ca/en/media/statement-canadian-blood-services-payment-plasma-donation
Resources
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Blood Products
What’s Popular
- Blood Management During COVID-19 Poster
- Body Weight Calculator
- COVID-19 Correspondence
- COVID-19 Resources
- Prenatal Testing and Prevention of Alloimmunization in Mothers of Saskatchewan (PRAMS) Program
- Saskatchewan Transfusion Adverse Event Report Form
- The Strange Case of Penny Allison
- Transfusion Best Practice Recommendations
Useful Links
- Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)
- Canadian Blood Services
- Canadian Blood Services Professional Education
- Canadian Immunodeficiencies Patient Organization
- Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine (CSTM)
- Choosing Wisely Canada
- CSL Behring
- HAE Canada Website
- Jehovah’s Witnesses
- National Advisory Committee on Blood and Blood Products
- ONTraC – Ontario Transfusion Coordinators
- ORBCoN – Ontario Regional Blood Coordinating Network
- REDCap
- Saskatchewan Bleeding Disorder Program
- Saskatchewan Society of Medical Laboratory Technologists (SSMLT)
- SaskBlood SharePoint
- Society for the Advancement of Blood Management (SABM)
- Treat the Bleed