Trois-Rivières, December 12, 2013 – Trois-Rivières is home to a Québec first. Local donors, who are already deeply committed to giving blood, are now being invited to donate plasma, a blood product in high demand across the province.
Plasma is the liquid portion of blood in which red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets are suspended. Separating plasma from whole blood makes it possible to isolate and purify key proteins that are then used to produce drugs for patients with a weak immune system, as well as treat a dozen or so other conditions, including several neurological disorders.
Héma-Québec established PLASMAVIE to strengthen its own supply of plasma and reduce its reliance on imported products. The center is dedicated exclusively to the collection of plasma via apheresis donation, a technique that takes only the desired components from a donor’s blood. Plasma can be donated every six days, and the procedure collects a greater volume of plasma than whole blood donation.
For more information on the PLASMAVIE Plasma Donor Lounge, go to www.plasmavie.ca or call 1-888-666-HEMA (4362), extension 408.
