The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 21, 2000, Page A7, Image 7
ETCETERA
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Plasma donation brings in easy money
by Ann Marie Miani
ETCETERA EDITOR
Plasma donation is a popular activity among college
students. Why? Because it’s a good way to make a quick
buck.
However, besides the moneymaking side, plasma do
nation can help hundreds of thousands of people who
suffer from many afflictions.
“It is used for burn victims, for people during
surgery. It [plasma] makes vaccines for hepatitis, for ra
bies, for tetanus. It is used in diagnostic kits to test other
products for HIV and hepatitis,” said Samuel Long, center
manager of Nabi Biomedical Center.
Plasma donation, otherwise known as plasmaphere
sis, is the process in which a person donates the plasma but
is not depleted of other blood components.
“We are actually on a saline protocol, where we give
saline [to the patient] at the end of the procedure, which
replaces a good portion of the fluids we take,” Long
said.
According to
Long, to donate
plasma, the patient
must have proper
identification, proof
of Social Security
number, live with
in 125 miles of
the center, and
must meet other re
quirements. The
patient must be be
tween the ages of 18 and 59, weigh at least 110 pounds,
and be in good health.
“We try to insist that you have eaten a good meal and
drink plenty of water. Plasma shoud be a light straw col
or. Caffeine is not good ... it could mean that you are de
hydrated or that you have too much fat in your diet,” Long
said.
Once all the paperwork is completed, a physical is
done to make
sure the patient is
in good health.
After the physi
cal, the patient
is taken to the
donor’s floor,
where the plasma
is given. .
Nabi uses a
17-gauge needle,
which is a bit
smaller than what the Red Cross uses. The patient can bleed
anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.
“We take out a small amount of blood, extract the plas
ma from it and then return the red cells to you. So you ac
tually don’t lose any blood,” Long said.
“A [first-time] donor will take about two and a half
hours, but after that it should take 90 mintues. A new donor,
donating 8 times in their first month, would make about
$180,” Long said.
Many people are worried about the transfer of diseases,
but Nabi Biomedical Center is careful about which plas
ma actually gets sent out and which gets rejected.
“Every time you donate plasma, it is tested for HIV, '
hepatitis A, B and C, and other diseases. You have to
have two sets of negative test results before we can qual
ify you as a donor. Each.unit is fully tested before it leaves
my center, so nothing leaves the center positive,” Long
said.
If a unit comes up positive, then the center notifies
every customer that has purchased that unit of plasma so
they can destroy it.
“It’s harder to donate plasma than it is to get insurance.
It really is because what you’re donating will be used on
people who have weakened immune systems and there
can’t be a chance that there is something wrong with it,”
Long said.
For more information on plasma donation, go to
www.nabi.com.
‘It’s harder to donate plasma than it is to get insur- .
ance. It really is because what you're donating will
be used on people who have weakened immune sys
tems and there can’t be a chance that anything is
wrong with it.’
Samuel Long
Center manager of Nabi Biomedical Center
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is accepting applications for new members.
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Student Government Office,
Office of Student Judicial Programs,
and tbe University Housing Office. 1
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■to the Student Government Office, m I
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outcomes for students alleged with violations of the Student
Code of Conduct. /
Beating'
Witness to
Violence
»
v » - w
What is the Clothesline?
The Clothesline Project provides an
opportunity for female survivors of violence
to paint a t-shirt expressing their inner
sorrows and triumphs. These t-shirts are
then displayed on Greene Street during
Women’s History Month so that others can
bear witness to the survivor’s experience.
T-Shirts are color-coded in order to recognize the uniqueness
of each Clothesline Participant’s violent encounter.
White for women who have died from violence
Yellow for women who have been battered/assaulted
Pink for women who have been sexually assaulted
Blue for women survivors of incest or child sexual abuse
Purple for women attacked because of their sexual
orientation
- J
How can I Participate? Students, Staff and Faculty female survivors,
or those wishing to paint a t-shirt on behalf of a loved-one who has been
subjected to violence, are welcome to paint a t-shirt at one of the
on-campus sessions listed below:
f ■ w r
T-shirt
painting
sessions
coming
up...
Tuesday,
February 22, 2000
6:00-7:30 p.m.
Towers
Classroom
&
Old Columbia Hall
Classroom
Wednesday
February 23,2000
6:00-7:30 p.m.
Patterson Hall’s
Grayson Room
&
Bates West
Classroom
For more information concerning the Clothesline Project, call USC’s Office of Sexual
M Health Programs & Sexual Assault Services at 777-8248.
Student Health Services • Department of Student Development • Division of Student 4 Alumni Services