Airmen help save lives by donating platelets

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Renni Thornton
  • 451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) --  Military members at Kandahar Airfield have a chance to help fellow servicemembers by donating blood platelets.

The aphersis clinic at the Role 3 hospital uses a unique process to extract blood platelets from donors. Platelets are one of three basic components of human blood.

"Our mission is to collect blood platelets to be used for injured servicemembers who may come to the hospital for treatment. The platelets are essential for patients with serious injuries," said Staff Sgt. Vincent Gella, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the apheresis clinic.

Thrombocytes, or platelets, are tiny oval-shaped cells made in the bone marrow. They are used to improve blood-clotting functions in a wide variety of patients, including those with cancer, peri-operative bleeding and traumatic injuries.

On Kandahar Air Field, the medical staff is more apt to see traumatic injury patients, Sergeant Gella said. "Let's suppose a patient comes in with a severe injury, maybe experiencing some heavy bleeding. Blood platelets are administered to the patient to help stop the bleeding." 

When large blood vessels are severed or cut, the body may not be able to repair itself through clotting alone. In these cases, dressings or stitches are used to control bleeding.

Unlike whole blood, platelets have a shelf life of no more than seven days, while whole blood can be kept for 30 days, Sergeant Gella said.

Currently, close to 200 military members have signed up to donate blood platelets on Kandahar AF, but only 30 to 40 donors consistently return to the clinic.

"Ideally, we would like more donors," said Maj. Israel Bennett, the officer in charge of the apheresis clinic at the Role 3.

"Not only do we support the trauma doctors here, we help out other hospitals in the region."

Hospitals at forward operating bases may request blood supplies to treat patients there and routinely seek assistance from the apheresis clinic at the Role 3.

The process for donating blood platelets is different than whole blood donations.
Because blood can only be drawn at a specific rate, the donation takes between one to two hours instead of 45 minutes for a whole blood donation.

"Since the process does take a bit longer, we offer our donors snacks, cool drinks and they can even watch a DVD or they can bring their own. We try to make them as comfortable as possible," Major Bennett said.

The apheresis machine extracts only the platelets from the person's blood and returns the remaining blood components to the donor.

"The process is conducted entirely with sterile, single-use disposable tubing, cell bags, and separation units so there is no risk of blood-transmitted diseases," Major Bennett said.

And because the human body replenishes platelets in about two days, donors can give weekly instead of waiting up to eight weeks to donate again when giving whole blood, Major Bennett said.

Major Bennett encourages all military members to donate.

"The first step is get the pre-screening done, which takes about two weeks. After that, people can donate as much as they want," he said.