Plasmapheresis Operations in the United States—1968

Abstract

The AMA Committee on Transfusion and Transplantation identified 173 facilities conducting plasmapheresis in the United States during 1968. Nearly 389 million ml of plasma were obtained from over 90,000 individual donors at 560,000 donor visits to these facilities. Incidence of donor reactions was in the range of 2% to 3%. In approximately 28% of the establishments providing data, there may be no physician present during the procedure of withdrawing whole blood from the donor, and separating and reinfusing the erythrocytes. Blood fractions obtained from the separated plasma will play an increasingly important role in direct and indirect patient care. Development of uniform criteria for donor selection and standards for donor care appears desirable.