Plasma Donation

selling plasma "pays the bills"

by kathryn dailey

Some find it unnerving, reclined back in a chair that is one of many in a long row and without any privacy with a needle sticking out of their arm; others find in a quick way to make some extra money.

Selling plasma serves as an additional source of income for many college students in need of a little extra cash.  ZLB Plasma Services, 1228 W. Elizabeth St., pays first time donors $40 on their first visit and second donation within a weekís time, and $20 to $30 thereafter depending on donorís weight and number of donations.

For many, people use this supplement a meager income.

"It supports some bad habits," said 21-year-old Nick Collins of donating plasma for "drinking money."

Collins, a junior computer science major, started donating regularly during his freshman year as a way to supplement his meager budget.

"It's the easiest money Iíve ever made," he said. "I sit there for an hour, hour-and-a-half, and watch movies, and they pay me."

Plasma is the liquid portion of the blood that contains proteins and antibodies that the immune system produces to fight diseases, said Sonya Williams, senior manager of communications at ZLB Plasma Services.

Donors only give the liquid portion of their blood, which is separated from the cellular portion that contains white and red blood cells and platelets. The cellular portion is then returned back to the donorís body.

Approximately 3 million liters of plasma are collected annually, Williams said, in more than 60 collection centers nationwide and 8 in Germany. These 3 million liters go to developing ìlife-saving plasma productsî that more than a million people depend on annually. 

Some of these products include coagulation therapies, which are used in the treatment of bleeding disorder such as hemophilia; critical care products, which are used to treat shock and burns, and serve as fluid replacement therapies in places such as hospitals and doctors offices; and to help facilitate the healing of wounds during and after surgery.

A plasma services center in Minnesota refused Kara Skipple, 23, because of one
of her past surgeries.

"I had some cadaver tissue placed in my knee, so they told me I'd never be able to give plasma," she said.

Donors are required to have valid identification and proof of their social security number present.  After filling out a mandatory questionnaire, the medical staff performs a health screening and physical exam.  During the exam the donorís finger is pricked so that the level of blood cells and plasma proteins in his or her blood can be measured.  This information goes into the donorís file, which speeds up donation time later.

After all that, donors are hooked up to an automated plasmapheresis machine that removes their blood, separates the plasma, then pumps the red blood cells back into the body, Williams said.  The whole process takes approximately 45 minutes.

The first donation is used for testing to ensure the safety and quality of the plasma.  Only after a second donation is made can the first be used, which is one reason why Williams urges everyone to make at least two donations.

To make the process go by quicker, Williams suggests eating a well-balanced meal and drinking four to six glasses of water, juice or other caffeine-free liquids two to three hours before donating.

While the process is safe, some people may find themselves feeling dizzy or faint.  If that occurs, they should lie down or sit with their head between their knees.  Donors should also keep the venipuncture site clean and dry as well as drinking more fluid than usual during the four hours following the donation.

While some donate regularly like Collins, and others would like to, but are unable to do so for health reasons such as Skipple, others hate the idea all together.

When 21-year-old Ashley Maguire reluctantly entered the center one Saturday afternoon, she was horrified when she saw the rows upon rows of plasmapheresis machines and all of the people connected to them, without any privacy.

"It was like a mass plasma harvest," said Maguire, a junior psychology major. "I was afraid to go in at first anyways because I hate needles, but now I think I'd rather sell my eggs.  I'm not that strapped for cash."
           

ZLB Plasma Services Hours
Monday through Friday open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.