Why administer plasma

Plasma is the fluid that carries red cells, white cells, platelets, proteins and nutrients through the blood vessels in the body. Nick loves camping, road trips, cycling. Thanks to plasma treatments, he's safe from everyday germs while doing them. Diagnosed with hyper IgM syndrome at just five-months-old, Nick has received infusions from donated plasma over the past 30 years.

If you're missing or have low levels of blood proteins due to a medical condition like liver disease, heart surgery, or severe blood loss, a plasma transfusion may help. There are a number of alternative fluids and individual antibodies, albumin and clotting proteins that can be used instead for some patients. There are some things you can do to lower the chances of needing a transfusion.

Plasma transfusions. Plasma transfusions Fresh frozen plasma FFP is used to replace missing or low levels of blood proteins in a range of medical and surgical situations. They are unpaid blood, platelet and plasma donors, who donate to help save the lives of other people. More about plasma and how it helps people.

Some confusion exists about plasma donations being used for profit. We do not sell your plasma or pay people to donate, and the donation process is not privatised or run for profit. It has been wrongly suggested that the whole of the UK plasma supply had been sold.

In fact, this relates only to fractionated plasma whereas NHS Blood and Transplant continues to collect plasma for profit-free patient transfusion.

In some other countries, plasma derived medicinal products are made from plasma donated by donors who are paid. These medicines can be imported to the UK. NHS organisations charge each other for the cost of services, on a cost recovery basis.

In the same way, NHS Blood and Transplant receives money for each unit of red cells, platelets and plasma that it supplies to hospitals. NHS plasma donation is not privatised. The confusion could put people off donating and we need people to keep donating and saving lives. Plasma is made into medicines that save and improve the lives of thousands of people with rare diseases. The volume transfused depends on the clinical situation and patient size, and should be guided by laboratory assays of coagulation function.

Skip to main content. Practice Clinical use of blood components Use of fresh frozen plasma Use of fresh frozen plasma A unit of fresh frozen plasma FFP contains all coagulation factors.

Contraindications Do not use fresh frozen plasma in the following circumstances: when you can correct coagulopathy effectively with specific therapy, such as vitamin K, cryoprecipitate, factor VIII or other specific factor concentrates in plasma exchange procedures except for treatment in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura treatment of immunodeficiency states when you can safely and adequately replace blood volumes with volume expanders, such as 0.