Blood Component as a Gamechanger

Blood donation is a vital process that can save lives and improve health outcomes for those in need. By donating blood, you are contributing to a critical supply that hospitals and clinics rely on to treat patients every day. From knowing what to eat before your donation to understanding the importance of hydration and rest, being informed about the process can make a significant difference. Whether you're a first-time donor or a regular contributor, understanding the dos and don'ts of blood donation can help ensure a safe and positive experience for both the donor and the recipient.

CHICKENPOX

Varicella (chickenpox) is  a contagious disease which is caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV) . It is rarely fatal, with only around 1 death per 1,00,000 cases among children agen 1-14 years; 6 per 1,00,000 cases in the 15-19 age group and 21  per 1,00,000 cases in adults. Between Jan 2015 and May 2021, 1269 chickenpox outbreaks (27,257 cases) have been recorded. Thirty-one deaths have been confirmed, with most occurring in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Nineteen states did not report any deaths. Among infants less than 1 year old who get the disease, about 1 in 250,000 die. For older children, about 1 in 100,000 die. If a woman gets chickenpox just before or after giving birth, her baby can get very sick. About 1 child in 500 who gets chickenpox is hospitalized. plasma can provide valuable antibodies (blood proteins your body makes to fight infections) for people at risk of chicken pox. 

BRAIN DISORDERS

Neurological disorders, both fatal and non-fatal, are among the leading contributors to the burden of non-communicable and communicable diseases in India The contribution of non-communicable neurological disorders has increased from 4% in 1990 to 8.2% in 2019 and injury related neurological disorders contributed 0.2 % in 1990 and 0.6 % in 2019  in India. The country accounts for a high disease burden for specific diseases including stroke, epilepsy, headache, Parkinson's disease, and dementia.  Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVig) is used for curing brain disorders which helps in making a hostile immune system.

IMMUNE DEFICIENCIES

Immune deficiency makes a person less able to fight off infections. It can result from medications or illness or it may be present from birth as a genetic disorder. Although there are no nationwide data on prevalence of immune disorders in India, based on statistical projections it is estimated that the number of patients with immune deficiency is likely to be more than one million. Antibodies are necessary to fight off bacteria and viruses. These replacement antibodies come from human plasma. Hnece in immune deficiencies for to fight back properly  against bacteria Plasma donation is important.

TETANUS

According to the World Health Organization in the entire year 2021 a total of 1240 cases of tetanus were reported in India; of them 81 were neonatal and 1159 were non neonatal.  Tetanus is a severe illness and usually requires treatment with high dose immunoglobulin. Tetanus Immunoglobulin-VF (for Intramuscular Use) is indicated for the passive protection of individuals who have sustained a tetanus-prone wound. Tetanus immune globulin (TIG) is a specific solvent-detergent-treated plasma-derived product obtained from donors immunized with tetanus toxoid. TIG is used to provide passive immunity to tetanus as part of a postexposure prophylaxis regimen following an injury in patients .

RH DISEASE

Rhesus disease is a condition where the rh factor of mother is negative and that of child is positive and the antibodies in pregnant woman's blood destroy her baby's blood cells.  In India, out of 26,000,000 births which occur every year, 13,00,000 (5 %) births occur in women with Rh negative blood group. Plasma exchange commenced early in pregnancy is recommended as a non-hazardous form of treatment in the management of severe Rh haemolytic disease.

MEASLES

Measles is a highly contagious viral airborne disease caused by virus spread easily in air and can lead to several complications and death. As per the provisional data reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) as of early February 2024, India stood fourth among the top countries with measles outbreaks. The country reported 12,301 cases between July–December 2023. Measles can be prevented through two doses of vaccination. An estimated 11 lakh children missed their first dose of the measles vaccine in India, placing the country among the ten nations with the highest measles vaccination gap, even post-pandemic, a new report from the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals. Immune globulin (Ig) is made from donated human  blood plasma that contains antibodies to protect against infection including measles. IG can provide immediate short term protection when given within six days after exposure to measles. It can prevent infection or make the illness less severe.

THROMBOTIC THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURA(TTP)

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare blood disorder. In TTP, blood clots form in small blood vessels throughout the body. The clots can limit or block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body's organs. Timely diagnosis is very important because TTP is a medical emergency which, without treatment, has a mortality of about 90%. About 80% of patients respond to initial treatment, and the post-treatment mortality is 10 to 15%. Fresh  frozen plasma is used to treat TTP. Fresh frozen plasma is given through an intravenous line that’s inserted in arm. It replace the missing or altered ADAMTS13 enzyme. Treatment is continue until symptoms improve.

LIVER DISEASES

Liver diseases almost affect one person among 5 in India and liver disease is the 10th most common cause of death in India as per the World Health Organization. Liver-related deaths in India have reached a staggering figure of 268,580 (3.17% of all deaths). Per yearAround 10 lakh patients of liver cirrhosis are newly diagnosed every year in India.  Patients with liver disease often have coagulation abnormalities that parallel the degree of parenchymal liver damage. In liver failure the  patient’s palsma  si removed an exchanges with fresh frozen plasma.

BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTS

Bone Marrow Transplants (BMTs) are on a steady rise in India, with about 2,500 transplants being performed yearly. The antibodies within plasma can help in preventing various infections during bone marrow transplants and also helps in building up the immune system.

HAEMOPHILIA

In India, more than 1,36,000 people have been diagnosed with Hemophilia, a rare disease. The number is 1 in almost every 10,000 male births. Estimates suggest 80,000- 100,000 severe Haemophilia case Patients with haemophilia have low levels of a protein essential for blood clotting, which means they can’t make clots properly. This puts them at risk of bleeding as Factor VIII or IX are also missing.

DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS

Deep vein thrombosis is not uncommon in India. It occurs when a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins in the body. Treatment with plasma products in DVT can help restore normal blood function by replacing important 'anti-clotting' factors. FFP can also be used for the reversal of DVT as it contains all the coagulation factors in normal concentrations.

HEART SURGERY (HEART ATTACK)

Heart surgery is the commonest cardiac operations in India, which has increased from 10,000 procedures annually in 1990's to greater than 60,000 annually presently. Indians face issues of heart attack 8 to 10 years earlier than the world. Every year more than 30 lakh people face the problem of cardiovascular diseases out of which 50% people are below the age of 50 and 25% people are below 40 years of age

HEMORRHAGES

In India, seriously injured trauma patients are six times as likely to die compared with patients in high-income nations. A recent study of trauma in urban areas of India showed that 58% of all trauma deaths could be prevented and that among preventable deaths, hemorrhage was a leading cause The incidents of strokes annually in India is 105 to 152 per 1,00,000 people Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is indicated for the management of massive bleedings by replacing vital clotting factors. 

RARE BLOOD DISORDERS

Rare inherited bleeding disorders (RBDs), includes deficiencies of coagulation factors fibrinogen, factor (F)II, FV, combined FV and FVIII, FVII, FX, FXI, FXIII, and congenital deficiency of vitamin K-dependent factors (VKCFDs),  In India, the burden of blood disorders and blood cancer is huge. And as RBDs represent a small potential commercial market only few therapies exist for these conditions.

HEPATITIS B

In India, the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is 3–4.2% with over 40 million HBV carriers. Every year over 1,15,000 Indians die of hepatitis B related complications. If a person is not been vaccinated for Hepatitis B he can undergo a treatment through plasma.

KIDNEY DISEASE

In India, there was a 38% increase in the proportion of deaths attributable to kidney failure between 2001–03 and 2010–13 Deaths due to renal failure constituted 2·9% of all deaths in 2010–13 among 15–69 years old. Plasmapheresis is a specialized procedure that is with some specific kidney diseases. In this procedure, large quantities of plasma are removed from a patient and replaced with fresh frozen plasma, albumin or saline.

SEVERE BURNS

In India around 7 million people suffer from burn injuries each year with 1.4 lakh deaths and 2.4 lakh people suffer with disability. Plasma is likely a better resuscitation fluid for patients with significant burn wounds because of its capability to restore intravascular volume status and treat the endotheliopathy of burns.  Albumin, can also help in replenishing and replacing lost fluid and proteins, preventing a patient from going into shock.

DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION

DIC(disseminated intravascular coagulation) is a rare condition in which all of the clotting factors in the body are used up or broken down. DIC can occur as a result of shock, septicemia, massive blood loss, severe vessel injury, tumor lysis syndrome, or obstetrical complications such as amniotic fluid embolism.

ANTITHROMBIN III DEFICIENCY

Antithrombin is a disorder in which individuals are at increased risk for developing blood clots.If the patient has a deficiency of the inhibitor antithrombin III and he is undergoing surgery, then fresh frozen plasma can be given to that patient. Fresh frozen plasma can also be given to a patient who is in need of heparin to treat thrombosis.

REPLACEMENT OF ISOLATED FACTOR DEFICIENCIES

Factor deficiencies are defined by which specific clotting protein in the blood protein is low, missing or doesn't work properly. Fresh frozen plasma is used to treat the deficiency of factor V. Apart from that it is also used to treat the deficiency of factors II, VII, X, IX and XI when specific component therapy cannot be done.

 TRAUMA

Trauma cases in India are primarily because of Road Traffic Injury. Road-traffic accidents are increasing at an annual rate of 3% every year. A trauma-related death occurs in India every 1.9 minutes.  Transfusion is important for a patient of trauma with hemorrhagic shock. Plasma transfusion helps in reducing the coagulopathy that can complicate traumatic hemorrhage and also helps in improving inflammatory response after injury, and also reduce metabolic derangements after trauma and hemorrhagic shock.