platelets 2

Platelets look weird. A bag ranges from yellow(like the unit I received shown above) to orange and has a glow—think Gatorade or radioactive comic goo. And I’m not the only one who doesn’t trust the sight of them, I often catch other patients looking at the bag, then back at the attending nurse, then back at the bag with a what the hell is that expression on their face. Below is a short list that offers some answers.

  • Platelets,or thrombocytes, are the smallest of the blood cells and live between 7 to 10 days in the bloodstream.
  • Platelets are donated through a process called apheresis in which blood is drawn into a machine that separates the platelets from the rest of the blood, which is returned back to the donor.
  • Platelets are formed in the bone marrow from larger cells known as megakaryocytes. The megakaryoctes break apart forming fragments, each piece forms a platelet.
  • Platelets must be used quickly after being donated–shelf life is about 5 days.
  • Platelets are stored in the spleen and released as needed by the body.
  • A person who does not have enough platelets suffers from thrombocytopenia.
  • A bag of platelets is referred to as a “six pack” because it generally take six donors to fill a bag. For those patients who start to consistently reject the “six pack”, a single donor bag is the preference—the fewer number of donors that go into a bag, the less chance of  the recipient reacting.
  • Next time platelets are the topic of conversation at the bar you’re going to be the one impressing people.

Thanks to AAMDS.org for their great Educational Materials that have answered so many questions for myself and many others.

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