When a unit is donated it is processed by NHS Blood and Transplant to provide the following components, all of which are transfused at the James Paget University Hospital
Red cells: Red cells carry an iron based protein called haemoglobin. Haemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs to the organs and tissues, and carries carbon dioxide back to the lungs to be exhaled. Red cells are required for various reasons – for example blood loss, anaemia, bone marrow disease or chemotherapy. In some cases it can be avoided - see alternatives below - but in many cases it is essential for life to continue.
Platelets: Platelets are small cells that are involved in the clotting process. If you don’t have enough platelets minor bleeds (for example a simple nosebleed) can become major as the normal clotting process fails. Platelets are given either prophylactically to prevent bleeding or therapeutically when bleeding is happening.
Fresh Frozen Plasma: Fresh frozen plasma contains clotting factors. It is used during massive bleeding, alongside red cells, to help replace clotting factors that are being used up rapidly. It can also be used in some specific cases to improve coagulation prion to a surgical intervention.
Cryoprecipitate: Cryoprecipitate mainly contains fibrinogen, another essential part of the clotting process. It’s use is mainly restricted to massive bleeding because of the development of specific fibrinogen factor that are virally inactivated and can be used to correct fibrinogen deficiency.
White cells: White cells are rarely used at the James Paget – they are given to patients whose haematological disease means they have few or no white cells of their own and they have an infection that is not responding to antibiotics.
