EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHITE BLOOD CELLS
There are four components in our blood.
WBC donation is nearly the same process as platelets donation. First, let us know about White Blood Cells.
WHAT ARE WHITE BLOOD CELLS
White Blood Cells, in short called as WBC, are one of the components of blood, are the important part of immune system that are present to protect from infectious diseases.
White Blood Cells are derived from stem cells in Bone Marrow.
They are also called as Leukocytes.
They account for only 1% of our blood.
They have a shore life of 1 to 3 days and bone marrow always makes them.
A normal WBC count is between 4000 and 10000 cells per micro liter (mcL).
They are involved in many functions in our body i.e., from infections to cancer.
There are types of WBC and deficiency of any one of those types can cause immunodeficiency syndrome.
Excess of WBC as well as low WBC causes great risk for our health.
Causes that affect White Blood Cells (excess or low):
- Low immune system
- Blood cancer
- Medicines
- Infection
- Pregnancy
- Extreme exercise
- Smoking
- Physical or Emotional stress
They are most often required for cancer patients for chemotherapy and radiation as patients cannot always get these cells on their own, sometimes they required white blood cell transfusions.
Eligibility for white Blood cells Donation:
- Age between 18 and 75 years
- Weight more than 50 kgs
- WBC count between 4000 and 10000 mcL.
- Must be a regular platelets donor.
WBC TRANSFUSION PROCEDURE (Apheresis):
Once the physician asks for WBC transfusion, patients members need to find the donor who is willing to donate WBC.
Sample is collected from donor and after a specific time blood bank people will tell the donor whether he is eligible to donate or not.
Then the medical people will provide the donor some stimulation medication approximately 12 hours prior to the donation to ensure the WBC count is high during the collection process.
This medication is given to donors to stimulate their bone marrow to produce extra white blood cells prior to their donation.
Stimulation Medication:
This medication consists of an injection 12 to 24 hours before donation and two tablets 12 hours before donation.
Sometimes donors are instructed to donate platelets in order to tolerate the apheresis process prior to the administration of stimulation medication.
Some minor increases in heart rate, bone pain, insomnia occur as side effects while using this stimulation medication.
Process of Donation:
After completing 12 hours of stimulus medication, white blood cells are extracted from the donor through extraction machine where whole blood will be collected through donors veins, White Blood Cells are collected in a bag having anti-coagulant and remaining components of blood are processed back to donor body through same vein.
This entire process may take 3 to 4 hours.
Donor can donate WBC again after giving a gap to 4 weeks from previous donation.
WBC recipients will require a transfusion that is compatible with same blood group type.
Get healthy food and maintain health for regular donation.
Gain awareness of organ donation as well.
Improve positive thinking and come forward to donate WBC that would help the needy a lot on time, which improves the standard of living of ours as well as the patients.
Blood is not manufactured; it always comes from generous donors like you.
Do comment your views about this article and you can suggest us any new points about WBC donation.
Gaining knowledge is not about knowing everything about something; it is about knowing something about everything.