What’s the difference between donating plasma and blood?

What’s the difference between donating plasma and blood?

While the donation processes are similar, the biggest difference is that we use a special machine to collect your plasma. The machine gently separates your red blood cells and returns them back to you along with a saline solution to maintain hydration. Since plasma is 90% water, the process is actually gentler on the body than a traditional whole blood donation. That’s why you’re able to donate 2x every 7 days, whereas with whole blood you can only donate 1x every 56 days. The other main difference is that plasma donors receive compensation for taking the time to donate.

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    • Can I donate blood and plasma at different centers simultaneously?

      Unfortunately, no. For safety reasons, you would not be able to donate both whole blood and plasma at the same time. You would need to wait at least 56 days from the date of your whole blood donation to come in to donate plasma.

    • Does it hurt to donate plasma?

      You will feel a quick pinch when the needle is inserted, but afterwards, you should not experience any pain or discomfort. Many of our members had previously never donated blood or plasma. Our team is trained to put you at ease and will walk you ...

    • Do I get paid by the volume of plasma collected?

      At Parachute, compensation is not based on donation volume. Our top priority is your safety. The amount of plasma we collect is determined by your weight and height, which gives us a very accurate understanding of your total blood volume. This means ...

    • I’ve been donating plasma somewhere else, can I switch to Parachute?

      Yes, you can choose to donate with Parachute instead. Please note there are rules for the number of times you can donate at any facility within a 2 and 7-day span. We do recommend waiting at least 7 days from your most recent donation to ensure you ...

    • What do you check my blood for?

      Because plasma is used to make life-saving medicines, safety is our top priority. We carefully screen every donation for infectious diseases like HIV, Hepatitis, Syphilis, and other viral markers to help protect both you and the patients who rely on ...