Do you know that your single donation of 450 ml blood may be separated into different components, benefitting as many as three patients? Blood is made up of different components and, invariably, a patient needs a transfusion of just a particular component. Utilising whole blood is wasteful, and sometimes even undesirable. It is now the standard practice of all modern blood banks to separate blood into components and ensure the optimum utilisation of this precious resource.

Whole blood has cellular components comprising red blood corpuscles, white blood corpuscles, platelets suspended in plasma solution (liquid plasma consisting of water, electrolytes, albumin, globulin, coagulation factors and other proteins). It is needed when both red cells mass and total volume must be restored, as in massive haemorrhage.

Your blood may be separated into the following components

Red blood cells:	These are separated shortly after collection of whole blood. The cells may be allowed to sediment or centrifugation can be used to separate cells and plasma. Needed to increase red cell mass, when symptomatic anaemia is present. In chronic anaemia oxygen carrying capacity is increased by transfusing red cells.
Fresh frozen plasma:	Plasma is separated from the red cells and placed at -18 deg C (or below) within 8 hours of collection. Needed mostly in bleeding patients with coagulation deficiency problems secondary to liver disease, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, Factor V or Factor IX deficiency.
Platelet concentrate/ platelet rich plasma:	This is prepared from a single unit of whole blood. Separation must be done within 8 hours after phlebotomy and the platelets stored at 20-24 deg C. Single donor platelet concentrate can be collected by apheresis. Needed in cases of bleeding due to severe thrombocytompenia and prophylactic therapy.

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How blood components are separated